Background
Shuko Murata was born in 1422. Some accounts refer to his father as a blind biwa player, although it is generally assumed that he was from the mercantile class.
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Shuko Murata
Edit Profile珠光 村田
Education
At an early age, he became an attendant at Shōmyōji, a Buddhist temple of the Jōdō sect in Nara.
During his youth, Jukō encountered the boisterous tocha gatherings of tea connoisseurs, although these held no appeal for him, he became interested in tea as a stimulant to keep him awake during his studies. His interest in tea took him to Kyoto, where he learned about the aristocratic practice of the tea ceremony from Nōami.
Career
At the age of 30, he became a disciple of Ikkyii, noted priest at the Daitokuji Temple in Murasakino, Kyoto.
Shuko was well versed in the customs and manners of tea drinking practiced at Zen Buddhist temples. Fond of tea utensils, he became a great connoisseur of these articles. Ikkyii once smashed Shoko's cherished tea bowl in order to curb his inordinate love of tea utensils. But because Shuko was quite unperturbed at the loss of his tea bowl, Ikkyii officially permitted him to indulge in his hobby.
Shogun Yoshimasa Ashikaga favored Shuko, made him return to lay life and live in a cottage at Sanjo in Kyoto. Shuko practiced tea ceremony in his cottage, setting ceremonial rules for tea drinking for the first time. He was responsible for formulating tea drinking manners and customs into a ceremonial art.
