Fujimura Yoken (藤村庸軒)
Yoken FUJIMURA (1613 - 1699) was a master of tea ceremony in Japan. He was an immediate follower of Sotan SEN and one of the Sotan shitenno (The big four of the Sotan school). He followed the school of Omote Senke, and started the Yoken-ryu style tea ceremony. He is also known as a poet making poems in Chinese. His given name was Masanao (政直) (later 当直 (pronounced Masanao as well)), and was commonly called Juniyagenbei. He used Bio or Hogoan as the title for his profession.
His personality
It is said that Yoken FUJIMURA was the second son of Soei HISADA, who was the first head of the Hisada family and had a strong connection with Senke, and was adopted by the Fujimura family that carried on a kimono shop named Juniya (there is another theory about this point). He learned tea ceremonies from Jochi YABUNOUCHI, and was also taught by Enshu KOBORI and by Sowa KANAMORI. He was permitted under Sotan SEN to initiate use of Daisu (a display stand for tea ceremony utensils), and was counted as one of the Sotan shitenno (The big four of the Sotan school).
Soan KUSUMI (1636 - 1728) wrote "Sawa Shigetsu shu" (a tea ceremony book in which what he said is collected) by putting together what he heard from Yoken
Many of his followers were good at practicing tea ceremonies, and each of them started its own tea ceremony method, followed by later generations. Of them, the ones originated in Seiin FUJIMURA, in Ryuka KONDO and in Soseki HIKITA are still practiced even today (for more information, refer to the Yoken school).
Juniya, the main branch of the Fujimura family, was inherited by Joken, his eldest son, followed by an adopted child sometimes, but the lineage of its tea ceremony method did not continue after Joken and Shoken.
In addition, Yoken also learned Confucianism from Boyo MIYAKE and Ansai YAMAZAKI, and wrote poems in Chinese. After he died, "A collection of Yoken's poems" edited by Doko OGINO was published in 1803.
Tea rooms
What are described below were his favorite tea rooms.
Hogo-an: the tea room located in the premises of Nishinotoin
However, "Hogo-an" indicates a tea room in which "Hogo-bari" (utilizing used-document papers, for example, for making sliding doors) is used. Therefore, it is not clear whether the "Hogo-an" in "Memos about tea ceremonies by Yoken at Hogo-an" indicates the tea room located in the premises of Nishinotoin or Yodomi (having a view of Yodo district) no seki (seat).
Nijo daime or two and three-quarters tatami mats size of room in teahouse (a daime is a three-quarter sized tatami mat used for tea ceremony room, a word of yonjo-daime is a tea room arrangement showing a square measure of 2.75-jo in tatami-size)
"Yodomi no seki" in Saio-in of Kurodani Konkai Komyo-ji Temple
Three-tatami-mat tea rooms with a special setting started by Doan Sen
Tennen zue tei (an arbor provided with pictures depicting nature) in the Isome's residence in Katada
Joint works with Yuan KITAMURA
A eight-tatami-mat main room.