Furuichi Ryōwa facts for kids

Furuichi Ryōwa was an important tea master from the Edo Period in Japan. He was the 4th head, or iemoto, of the Ogasawara Ko-ryū school of chanoyu, which is the Japanese tea ceremony.

Ryōwa was good friends with another famous tea master, Furuta Oribe. Oribe taught Ryōwa many special secrets about the tea ceremony. It was a student-teacher relationship where Ryōwa learned a lot from Oribe.

Ryōwa's family had a long history with tea. His ancestor, Furuichi Chōin, was a student of Murata Shukō. Shukō wrote a very famous letter called the "Letter of the Heart" (kokoro-no-fumi). This letter explained the deep ideas and spiritual meaning behind the tea ceremony. Chōin received this important letter.

Ryōwa's Work as a Tea Master

Starting a New Tea School

In the early Edo Period, a powerful leader named Ogasawara Tadazane (who lived from 1596 to 1667) hired Ryōwa. Tadazane was the lord of the Kokura Domain, which was like a large area of land he ruled. Ryōwa's job was to be the Sadō, or official tea master, for the lord.

With this important job, Ryōwa started his own tea school. He named it the Ogasawara Ko-ryū. The word "ko" (古) in the school's name is the same Chinese character as the "Furu" in his family name, Furuichi (古市). It just has a different way of being said.

Family History and the Ogasawara Ko-ryū

Ryōwa said that his new Ogasawara Ko school was a continuation of his family's tea traditions. He claimed to be the 4th grandmaster, following Furuichi Inei. Inei was known for leading fancy tea gatherings called tōcha. These events were held at the Kōfuku-ji temple in Nara.

Inei's younger brother, Chōin, also knew a lot about the tōcha style. But Chōin later became interested in a new way of doing tea. This new way was taught by Murata Shukō. Shukō believed that the tea ceremony should show a person's inner feelings and connect to Buddhist ideas. Chōin studied with Shukō, which we know from the famous "Letter of the Heart."

Chōin's grandson, Furuichi Jyōin, became the third leader of the Furuichi family's tea style. Then, Ryōwa, who was Jyōin’s adopted son, officially created the Ogasawara Ko-ryū. This school was based on the Furuichi family's long history of tea.

Ryōwa was buried at Shitaho-ji Temple, which is located near Kokura Castle.

Ryōwa's Lasting Impact

The Furuichi family continued to serve as the official tea masters for the Ogasawara lords for a very long time, right up until the end of the Edo Period.

Much later, in 1973, the 32nd head of the Ogasawara family, Ogasawara Tadamune, took over as the head of the Ogasawara Ko school of chanoyu. He did this to help the school become popular again and continue its traditions.