Ueda Sōko-ryū (上田宗箇流) is a cultural aesthetic practice, or tradition, of Japanese tea ceremony that originated within the samurai class of feudal Japan. The tradition is commonly called the Ueda Sōko Ryū or Ueda Ryū (Ryū meaning "Tradition" or "School" in Japanese). The founder from whom the tradition takes its name was Sengoku period warlord Ueda Sōko. The customs, etiquette and values of the samurai are woven throughout all aspects of the tradition's practice of chanoyu, a practice that has continued unbroken for over 400 years.
Ueda Sōko
After first serving Niwa Nagahide as a page, Ueda Sōko was later chosen by Toyotomi Hideyoshi as one of his aides and daimyō. Ueda learned chanoyu from Sen no Rikyu and Furuta Oribe before establishing his own style of chanoyu, deeply influenced by the values and customs of the samurai of the Sengoku period (mid 15th-early 17th century). Since Ueda's time the Ueda School has continued for 16 generations under an iemoto system. The present and 16th iemoto is Ueda Sōkei.
Ueda Sōko is famous as one of the leading garden designers of the Momoyama period (1568–1603). He is well known for designing and constructing many gardens listed in Japan as places of great scenic beauty. These include Shukkeien (Hiroshima prefecture), Tokushima Castle Front Palace Garden (also known as Senshūkaku-teien, Tokushima Prefecture), Nagoya Castle Garden (Ninomaru-teien, Nagoya prefecture), Wakayama Castle's Nishinomaru-teien and Kokuwadera-teien (Wakayama prefecture).
Following the Siege of Osaka (1614–1615), the Toyotomi clan was disbanded in 1619 and Ueda relocated to Hiroshima under his lord Asano Nagaakira who was to become daimyō of the Geishū Domain (Hiroshima Domain). Ueda was given a fief in the West of Hiroshima prefecture yielding 17,000 koku of rice (around 2,788 tonnes) and became Asano's chief retainer for the Geishū Domain.
As chief retainers of the Geishsū Domain, the Ueda family governed their land in West Hiroshima for generations. Sōko's chanoyu was passed down through the generations and continues to thrive today.
History In 1619 (Fifth year of Ganwa Era), Asano Nagaakira was appointed as daimyō of the Geishū Domain, making him Lord of Aki Province and half of Bingo Province amounting to land of 426,500 koku of rice (roughly modern-day Hiroshima Prefecture). Ueda Sōko went to Geishū in special servitude to Lord Asano. Sōko was assigned a fief 17,000 koku of rice in the West of Hiroshima prefecture to go with his appointment as Asano's Chief Retainer. Sōko enlisted Nomura Kyūmu and Nakamura Mototomo as his vassals and granted them each a fief of 100 koku of rice. Sōko invested the teaching of his style of chanoyu to the two families (a role called "Chaji Azukari" or "holders of the teachings of chanoyu"). Under Sōko's direction, the Nomura and Nakamura families taught and conducted chanoyu for the Asano and Ueda families.
In the middle of the Edo Period the number of people practicing chanoyu was increasing. The Sen Traditions of Tea were the first to establish the Iemoto system around this time. Then during the Bunka and Busei Eras (1804–1819) the Sōden grading system was established, again by the Sen Traditions. The Ueda Sōko Tradition spread wider than just the Samurai class of Geishū. The Ueda Sōko Tradition was practiced by regular townsfolk and people throughout the Kansai and Chu-Shikoku regions. This called for a new level of formality around the teaching of the School. The retainers of the Ueda Tradition, Nomura Sōkyū, Nomura Yokyū, and Nakamura Taishin established a new Sōden System in 1839 (Tenth year of Tenbō Era). This new Sōden System placed Ueda Sōko's style of Tea into a form that was able to be transmitted in a systematic format through generations. It dictated the highest license, the Shin Daisu, was to be kept in the Ueda Family and the other licenses were to be issued by the Chaji Azukari. In the Sōko sama o-kikigaki or Notes from Sōko, there is the record "Sōko received a license from Oribe". This shows the Ueda Sōko Tradition transmitted through generations is a style of Tea heavily influenced by Oribe, and a tradition that places the Shin Daisu as the highest license achievable.
The Domains of Japan were dissolved with the Meiji Restoration, and all Tea Masters serving the daimyōs of domains found themselves without employment. The 12th Grandmaster Ueda Yasuatsu was the head of the Ueda Family through the twilight years of the Tokugawa shogunate rule, and into the Meiji period. In 1870 (Third Year of Meiji) he retired from worldly affairs and became a Buddhist monk, taking the name Jōō. Until his death in 1888 (21st Year of Meiji) Jōō devoted himself to chanoyu and in this way his life resembled the life of Ueda Sōko. Jōō continued to employ Nakamura Kaidō and Nomura Ensai as Chaji Azukari throughout the Meiji Period, and the two families served in this role until 1955 (30th Year of Shōwa). The Ueda Sōko Tradition of Tea continues today as a tradition representative of Warrior Tea, born in Momoyama Period (1568–1598) Japan. The warlords of this period lived in a ruthless time where the threat of death was an intimate part of daily life. The Tea of the Momoyama period samurai class is therefore a style of Tea that seeks quietude for the mind. The Ueda Tradition of Tea continues as a practice for learning one's true heart through the Way of Tea.
Characteristics of the Ueda Sōko tradition of Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu) The Ueda Sōko Tradition of Chanoyu is: a Warrior Class school of tea (chanoyu) that continues unbroken from the Momoyama Period (about 1573–1603) to the present day a school where one can see the unique aesthetic of Ueda Sōko, an aesthetic that combines the influence of (a) Rikyū's beauty of tranquility: a type of beauty that emerges from subtle movement in a world of stillness and shadows and (b) Oribe's beauty of liberation: an atmosphere of primordial emancipation that arises from a world of light, space and free-flowing forms. Ueda Sōko combined the influence of both his teachers to create an elegant and dignified aesthetic referred to as "utsukushiki". the only school that has restored the headquarters of the Iemoto to the original layout of the Edo Period Samurai residence complete with the tearoom complex 'Wafūdō' and shoin reception building. The Ueda school also maintains many historical tea equipages, artefacts, and ancient texts with great historical significance for the history of chanoyu a school known for its dignified, elegant beauty. The characteristic movements of the Ueda Sōko Tradition's tea preparing ceremony (temae) are dignified and beautiful. This is achieved by composing movements of straight lines and eliminating all unnecessary movement. The school emphasises the yin/yang balance in the practitioner which usually results in a stronger aesthetic for men and a softer aesthetic for women (in line with Samurai culture of the Momoyama Period).
More specifically, the above points entail: The tea preparing ceremonies (temae) are different for men and women The way of bowing for men and women is different The purifying cloth (fukusa) is worn on the right side of the obi (a samurai's sword is fixed in the left side of the obi and this side is left free out of respect for the sword, and in case one has to suddenly exit the tearoom, fix their sword to their obi and start battle) The way of handling the bamboo ladle (hishaku) and purifying cloth (fukusa) is very distinctive in the Ueda Tradition. E.g. Men handle the bamboo ladle as if riding a horse in battle, resheathing their sword and draw water as if handling an arrow The movements in the tea preparing ceremony (temae) are composed of straight lines, and the movements flow with the breath. Performing the ceremony in harmony with the breath rejuvenates one's spirit: the emphasis is on releasing one's breath and energy "from inside to out, from inside, to out"
Wabi-cha and Warrior Tea Wabi-cha is a style of chanoyu developed in the Momoyama period that gives precedence to chanoyu practiced in koma (four and a half mat-size and smaller) tea rooms using rustic equipages amid a sombre atmosphere; all natural conclusions from emphasising the aesthetic concept of wabi. The Ueda Ryū is a School of chanoyu that values wabi-cha and emphasises wabi aesthetics. Another dimension to the Ueda Ryū is that since the Momoyama period it has continued as one of the unique Traditions of chanoyu known as bukeh-cha, or 'warrior tea', which are traditions of chanoyu that originated in and were developed by the samurai class. Accordingly, warrior tea traditions of chanoyu are noticeably rich with the culture and customs of the samurai. The Ueda School now has wide repute as a tradition representative of warrior tea.
Tea Drinking in the Ueda Sōko tradition The Ueda Tradition is a school of tea of the samurai class that originated in the Momoyama period (1568–1598). The warlords of this period lived in a ruthless time where the fear of death was present in daily life. The tea of the Momoyama period samurai class is therefore a style of tea that seeks quietude for the mind and strength of spirit.
The Temae of the Ueda Sōko tradition The temae (tea preparing ceremony) of the Ueda Tradition is often said to be elegant and beautiful. There are two reasons for this appearance.
First, the actions of the temae are in straight lines with all unnecessary movement eliminated. This creates a clean, dignified appearance that is invigorating for the practitioner.
Second, actions are performed similar to the in-to-out flow of the breath (e.g. cleaning the whisk (chasendōji), rotating the tea bowl and whisking the tea). With practice, the temae can be performed in natural flowing harmony with the breath. From an 'unshakeable core expanding out' is the fundamental direction of assertive action and the tea ceremony of the Ueda Tradition is based on this fundamental. To captures this in the temae, the practitioner moves at one with an energising in-to-out flow of breath.
These two aspects of (1) invigorating, clean actions in straight lines, and (2) the strength of actions performed in harmony with the in-to-out flow of the breath, contribute to the dignified and beautiful appearance of the temae of the Ueda Tradition.
Utensils and the body An ideal of the Ueda Tradition is for utensils and the body to come together in harmony. One therefore does not slouch or handle objects by moving just the arms. Instead, handling objects from the central axis of the body is of fundamental importance. Objects are handled with a composed and stable posture; at navel height, 3 cm behind the tip of the knees and with the space of an egg open under the arms. Objects are held firmly with the thumb and middle finger and the index finger is added more lightly. Objects are not placed down just by moving one's arms; the whole body is used when placing objects down. The eyes also focus on the utensil that is being used at that particular moment. Harmony is achieved when the utensil, body, arms, breath and eyes all move together.
Ueda Sōko's teacher, Furuta Oribe Furuta Oribe 古田 織部 ( – July 6, 1615) is the most celebrated tea master in history after his teacher Sen Rikyu. Unlike the merchant Rikyu, Oribe was a member of the samurai class and he led the development of a style of tea suited to cultural values of the samurai class known as buke-cha (warrior tea). Oribe held daimyō status and was originally a retainer of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi before serving the Tokugawa clan.
Oribe became the foremost tea master in Japan after Rikyū's death, and taught the art of chanoyu to the 2nd Tokugawa shōgun, Tokugawa Hidetada. Among his other famous tea ceremony students were Kobori Enshū, Honami Kōetsu and Ueda Sōko.