Sen Soshitsu XV (千宗室 (15代))
Genshitsu SEN (April 19, 1923 - present) is the fifteenth iemoto (the head of a family or school) of the Urasenke school of Japanese tea ceremony fame, Soshitsu HANSO. His Buddhist name is Hounsai. His real name is Sokyo. He is currently called Dai Sosho or Dai Genshitsu. The fourth generation Soshitsu HANSO identified himself as 'Genshitsu' before succession to the name of Soshitsu, which started when the twelfth Soshitsu JIKISHO identified himself as Genshitsu upon retirement.
His wife was Tomiko. His eldest son is the current iemoto, Soshitsu SEN (the sixteenth). His father was the fourteenth Soshitsu SEKISO (known as Soshitsu TANTANSAI). His sister is Yaeko SHIOZUKI, a master of the tea ceremony and ceremonial occasions critic.
He is a professor at Takarazuka University of Art and Design and teaches traditional arts.
Awards
In November 1973, he won Ranju hosho (the Medal with Blue Ribbon).
In November 1980, he won Shiju hosho (the Medal with Purple Ribbon).
In November 1989, he was designated a Bunkakorosha (Person of Cultural Merits).
In April 1994, he won the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star.
In November 1997, he became the first person to win the Order of Culture for the tea ceremony.
In April 1998, he won the Legion d'Honneur, Officier of France.
In May 1998, he won the Order of the Direkgunabhorn, Kingdom of Thailand.
Brief personal history
On April 19, 1923, he was born as the eldest son of Soshitsu SEKISO, the fourteenth Urasenke school iemoto.
In 1943, he entered the navy as the fourteenth navy preliminary student due to student mobilization. He was transferred from Maizuru Kaiheidan (marine team) to Tsuchiura Fleet Air Force and received basic training to be an officer. He was transferred to the Tokushima Fleet Air Force and appointed to the rank of junior lieutenant.
In 1945, he volunteered to enter a suicide corps (known as Tokkotai).
In October 1945, he left the corps since the war had ended. He reentered Doshisha University Faculty of Economics.
He graduated from Doshisha University in 1946.
In June 1949, he took Buddhist vows under Zuigan GOTO Ro-Daishi, chief abbot of Daitoku-ji Temple. He received saigo Hounsai.
He studied at University of Hawaii in 1950.
He was appointed to the president of Junior Chamber International Japan in 1959.
In 1964, due to his father Soshitsu's death, he succeeded to the name of Soshitsu as the fifteenth Urasenke school Konnichian iemoto after SEN no Rikyu.
On December 2002, he transferred the iemoto position to Soshitsu SEN the sixteenth. He changed his name to Genshitsu.
Personality
The actor Ko NISHIMURA was born in the same year (Sen was one grade below him) and belonged to the same corps in Tokkotai. On the day he moved to Kushira Navy Base from Tokushima in advance of a suicide mission, according to Nishimura's remembrance after the war and Sen's books and talks, after flight training all five members of the corps gathered next to their airplanes for a tea party with tools that they had on hand and adzuki-bean jellies from their rations. Nishimura departed but came back because his plane broke down, and Sen never departed, so they were the only two from the corps who survived. NHK Human Lecture, August-September 2004, Wednesdays "Heart of Tea to the World, Genshitsu SEN." When Nishimura died in 1997, Sen served as funeral chairman by the will of the deceased.
Authored works
"Peacefulness through a Bowl of Tea" (Tankosha Publishing Co., Ltd.)
"Spirit of Tea" (Kodansha Ltd.)
"Good Day" (Kindai Shuppan)
"The Pleasure of Tea by Genshitsu SEN" (Random House Kodansha Co., Ltd.)
"Heart of Tea to the World" (Japan Broadcast Publishing Co., Ltd.)
"Collection of Genshitsu SEN conversation, Think of the Country-Kyoto, Japan, and to the World." (Tankosha Publishing Co., Ltd.)
"Collection of Genshitsu SEN conversation, Lead the way-Live on a straight road." (Tankosha Publishing Co., Ltd.)
"Joy to be kept alive" (Tankosha Publishing Co., Ltd.)
"Witness of Times (15) 'Heart of Tea' Genshitsu SEN" (The Yomiuri Shinbun)