Letter to Akimago Nyudo

Sen’no Rikyū (1521-1591) was a great master of the tea ceremony active in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Founder of the Rikyū school of tea ceremony. Born in Sakai, Izumi. His name was Sōeki and also known as Hōsensai. He studied the tea ceremony under Kitamuki Dōchin and Takeno Jouō, and learned wabicha. He also received the name “Sōeki” from Dairin Sōtō of Daitokuji Temple School, who was the master of Jouō’s Zen meditation.

His activities as a tea master led him to become the tea master of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and he established himself as the best tea master in Japan. However, Hideyoshi ordered him to commit seppuku, and he died in Tenshō 19 (1591) at the age of 70.

This letter was written by Rikyū to Shūson Nyūdō. The date and details of Shūson Nyūdō are unknown.

In this letter, Rikyū requests Shūson Nyūdō to come to Kyoto and meet him.