The Enshu Sado School was founded in 1608 by Kobori Enshu, the feudal lord of modern-day Shizuoka prefecture. Enshu had many roles in the Tokugawa shogunate of the time, including but not limited to the official tea instructor of the court. Due to his authority, he altered how “sado,” the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, was conducted forever.
Kobori’s style of simple yet elegant tea ceremonies was, in some ways, a marked departure from his teacher Oribe Furuta. Furuta’s teaching implored the practitioner to appreciate the roughness and imperfection found in nature. Kobori’s genius was marrying both approaches to create “kirei-sabi,” roughly translated as gracefulness and simplicity.
To this day, Kobori’s influence can still be seen in the traditional sado ceremony. The Enshu Sado School carries on his teachings through over 30,000 members across 53 chapters, including international locations in Asia and Europe.
