Murata Juko (1422–1502) — the man who created the foundation for wabi-cha by combining Chinese tea ceremony aesthetics with Japanese simplicity — was born in Yamato Province (present Nara Prefecture). Juko grew up and entered Shomyo-ji temple of the Jodo sect, but eventually gravitated toward Kyoto's world of culture and tea. He studied under Noami, an artist and tea master, and became tea ceremony instructor to Ashikaga Yoshimasa. He also interacted with Ikkyu Sojun, the Zen monk known for radical thinking and freedom, and learned Zen from him.
Based on these experiences, Juko discovered the spirit that formed the basis of wabi-cha. In his time, the main event was the luxurious tea party of the palace style — tea enjoyed while prizing Chinese imports. The spirit of the "new tea ceremony" discovered by Juko was passed on to his disciples even after his death, eventually leading through Takeno Joo to the present chado (tea ceremony). The full context of this era is in our Muromachi tea history.
Wabi-Cha Aimed by Murata Juko
On the beauty of simple objects
Juko left the words: "It is vital to dissolve the boundary between Japanese and Chinese art." In contrast to the tendency to favor only karamono (Chinese objects), he insisted that it was important to pay attention to the simple beauty of Japanese pottery as well, and brought a new sense of beauty to the world of chanoyu.
The tea utensils left by Juko are called "Juko Specialty" and there is an anecdote that one of them was used by Sen no Rikyu.
In addition, the words "It is better to see the moon hidden between the clouds than the shining full moon, which is more beautiful" indicate a new type of tea ceremony that considers the beauty of lack to be good. This sense of beauty also influenced the construction of the teahouse, and Juko aimed to create beauty by dividing the teahouse into a small space of four and a half tatami mats and eliminating decorations.
On incompleteness and restraint
Juko, who was influenced by Zen, pursued "the beauty that emerges by eliminating objects to the extreme." He then sought to make up for the lack of things with "spiritual richness."
With an emphasis on the "mind and spirit" of chanoyu, Juko states that the greatest obstacle to the way of tea is "conceit and self-obsession," and preaches that no matter how proficient one may be, one should obediently ask others for instruction and, for beginners, help with training.
There is a passage that Juko wrote to his disciples: "Be apart from the mind's master, and be the master of the mind." It means: "Don't be swayed by a changeable mind, but put yourself in a position to control it." Juko aimed to make the tea ceremony "a place for spiritual training" where one can control one's mind and confront oneself.
People who influenced Murata Juko
Noami
Without meeting Noami, Juko could not have come up with his new ideas. What he learned from Noami is the first-class culture of the time: tea ceremony, Japanese and Chinese renku (poetry), Noh, and Tachibana (flower arrangement). By learning these things, he honed his sense of beauty, and by fusing the Zen philosophy described below, the chanoyu that Juko aimed for was created.
Zen monk, Ikkyu Sojun
Juko was also greatly influenced by Ikkyu Sojun, the Zen monk known as "Ikkyu-san." Ikkyu pursued freedom and was full of rebellious spirit. Juko learned "Zen teaching that eliminates waste" and "a mind that pursues the essence of something without being particular about anything" from Sojun.
Wabi-cha was not completed by Juko. However, Juko played the important role of "showing the way wabi-cha should aim and go." Later, Juko's ideas spread with the support of the rich, and his disciples continued their studies, leading through Takeno Joo to the completion of the chanoyu culture under Sen no Rikyu. The Uji tea region of Kyoto was the backdrop for much of this development.
The wabi-cha lineage Juko set in motion still shapes how tea is practiced today. Browse our green tea collection and bring a little of that quiet spirit to your cup.