Sen Shōan

(1546-October 10 1614) was a Japanese tea ceremony master. His father was Miyaō Saburō, who was a resident of Sakai and was a master at playing the Japanese hand drum ("tsutsumi"). Circumstantial evidence indicates that Miyaō Saburō probably died around the year 1553. Shōan's mother, the wife of Miyaō Saburō, was known as Sōon. She became the second wife of Sen no Rikyū. Shōan was adopted into the Sen family and became the son-in-law of Rikyū when he married Rikyū's daughter Okame. [Entry on Miyaō Saburō in "Rikyū Daijiten" (Japanese encyclopedia about Sen Rikyū). Tankosha, 1989. ISBN4-473-01110-0] The oldest boy born between Shōan and Okame was Sen Sōtan. [ [http://www.sengoku-expo.net/text/tea/E/K16.html Sen Sotan] ] [ [http://www.urasenke.org/tradition/tradition.html URASENKE TRADITION OF TEA] ]

Shōan was the same age as Rikyū's oldest son, Sen Dōan, but his skill at Japanese tea ceremony was much more highly reputed than was Dōan's. Rikyū left the Sen estate in Sakai for Dōan, and had Shōan and family set up a new Sen household in Kyoto. The exact year of the move is unknown, but it represented the origin of the so-called Kyoto Sen Family (Kyō-Senke), [Entry on Sen Shōan in "Rikyū Daijiten"] which evolved into the present san-Senke (see Sansenke) (lit., three Sen houses/families). Eventually, Shōan became Rikyū's successor, who was then followed by Sen Sōtan.

References

*Daijirin, 2nd Ed.
*Kōjien, 5th Ed.