Samurai and Tea

In Medieval times, samurai became powerful and stood at the top of the social hierarchy. They had taken over political control over Japan. They also played important role in Japanese tea culture, and greatly contributed for the development. Eisai who first had introduced matcha to Japan delivered teas and the book about the health benefit of drinking tea written by himself as gifts to a load Shogun Sanemoto Minamoto of Kamakura bakufu. Tea proved its effect when Shogun was suffering from hangover. This awakening of health effect of tea by the most powerful man in Japan lead the popularity of tea among all Samural. As tea arouse Samurai's interest, In the Nanbokucho era, such as Douyo Sasaki became interested in the game called "Toucha". People bit tons of money and guess what kind of the or where the tea comes from. During the Muromachi era, the Shogun family of Ashikaga, powerful patron samurai, Yamana and Hosokawa owned the tea estates in Uji. Tea culture and tea drinking habit spread widely in Samurai society. At the Ashikaga, by the order of Shogun, Yoshimasa AshikagaⅧ, Ginkaku temple which represent the beauty of quietness and peace, "Yugen" and "Wabi" was built. This humble style of beauty was in trend in that time and humble style of Chanoyu based on Zen philosophy became popular. Every time samurai came back from the battlefield, they practiced the tea ceremony to search the peace in their mind. Also many of them obsessed by collecting the fancy and valuable tea things to show their power. During Edo era at the Tokugawa, tea ceremonies were held which hosted by Shogun and invited Daimyo(Japanese feudal lord). Chanoyu became very important social and political opportunities for Daimyo. Oribe Furuta and the pupils of Furuta established the Buke-style chado and lead the Japanese tea culture among samurai and daimyo. Some daimyo and samurai became keen to the tea ceremony and practiced intently and became one of the famous tea master in the history.

(Nobuyoshi Mochizuki)