Wakasosho Oath-taking in the Rikyu Altar Hall at Konnichian
Wakasosho Tanshinsai takes oath in the Rikyu Altar Hall

On October 8 (Thursday), 2020, SEN Takafumi was confirmed as the Urasenke heir-to-be, wakasosho, in an oath-taking ceremony held in the Rikyu Onsodo (Shrine of the Honorable Ancestor, Rikyu) at Urasenke Konnichian.

The Kabutomon front entrance gate to the historical Konnichian compound,
and the front porch of the historical tea room complex, on the day of the oath-taking ceremony.

Takafumi's oath-taking ceremony commenced at 3:00 P.M. Those who were assembled in the Rikyu Altar Hall included KUJO Michinari (36th-generation head of the Kujo family; Urasenke advisor), Resident Head Priest ONOZAWA Kodo of the Daitokuji sub-temple Jukoin (ancestral temple of the Kyoto branch of the Sen family), Daisosho SEN Genshitsu, Iemoto SEN Soshitsu and Mrs. Sen, Takafumi himself, other members of the head family, and, as representatives of the Konnichian board of elders, OBAYASHI Takeo and HONJO Hachiro. Other members of the Konnichian board of elders were seated in the Totsutotsusai, the central tea room in the historical tea room complex, situated nearby.

In the Altar Hall, a Buddhist sutra was intoned, and then Iemoto reported to the founder of the way of tea, SEN Rikyu, that his official heir and successor had been established. Next, the newly recognized wakasosho was given the 'saigo' (Buddhist name) Tanshinsai 丹心斎 by the honorable KUJO Michinari , and the 'chamei' (tea name) Soshi 宗史 by Iemoto. Takafumi then vowed to dedicate himself more than ever, as the officially recognized future successor in the line descended from the founder, Rikyu Koji.

Urasenke's eleventh-generation head, Gengensai, received the 'dogo' (pseudonym) Seichu from KUJO Hisatada (29th-generation head of the Kujo family), and it owed to the long connections between Urasenke and the Kujo family that Takafumi was conferred with his 'saigo' name from the present head of that family.

Following the oath-taking ceremony, the newly-confirmed Wakasosho prepared a ritual ochato tea offering in the Totsutotsusai, carried the special ochato tea to the Altar Hall, and placed it on the offering table as an offering to Rikyu Koji. Koicha was then prepared for the attendees, and after that there was a celebratory meal served in the Tairyuken room, situated immediately north-east of the Totsutotsusai.

The ritual ochato tea offering

The koicha service following the ochato


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