THE EVOLUTION OF THE JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY AFTER SEN NO RIKYŪ AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE IEMOTO SYSTEM

Abstract

This paper explores the development of the Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu) after the death of Sen no Rikyū, focusing on the contributions of key figures such as Furuta Oribe and Kobori Enshū, as well as the institutionalization of the practice through the iemoto system. It investigates how the wabi-cha tradition transformed in response to changing political and social conditions during the Edo period, and how the tea ceremony evolved from a personal spiritual discipline into a formalized cultural heritage passed down through hereditary lines. The study demonstrates that, despite criticisms of the iemoto system’s rigidity, its role in preserving the aesthetics and philosophies of chanoyu has been crucial to the tradition’s survival.