Naosuke Ii named this tea room “Juroken,” after a line from the Lotus Sutra which states, “Dharma rain pours down, extinguishing the flames of desire.” The name of this tea room shows Naosuke’s strong determination to toss aside any distractions and focus solely on sadō.

Juroken wasn’t always a tea room. It was initially a hallway corner, which Naosuke renovated himself. The nijiriguchi entrance and tokonoma area of this humble tea room show how Naosuke wasn’t afraid to break conventions.

Naosuke adopted the tea name Sōkan, and he bestowed tea names to 17 of his disciples. Ōkubo Kozen was his second disciple and bestowed the name Sōho.

Naosuke also left behind the following words regarding tea. As you go over each of his ideas, think about the image of Naosuke that you’ve built in your mind throughout this journey.

・Cha ha cha ni arazu (Tea is not tea)
To skim the fallen leaves off the surface of a pond shows the depth of nobility in one’s heart.
・Cha ni aru ni arazu (That which is not tea is also not tea)
Is the uninhibited stirring of eaves not a friend of the quiet night?
・Tada cha nomi (The way of tea lies beyond all else)
When searching for the direction to step foot in, this is the path for you.
・Ze wo cha to nazuku (That which is right is tea)

A flower may bloom on the peak of a mountain, but the trees in the valley do not aim to distance themselves.

His words sound as if they were from a Zen Buddhist text. Naosuke believed that the public at the time were too focused on luxurious tea rooms and tools, as well as the status of their guests. He believed in a much humbler way of tea, which would be practiced by people in their natural states. In other words, he believed in valuing spirit and emotions over materialistic substance. He speaks of how it is important to live simply and frugally, and how one should delve into the world of wabi, or subdued beauty.

Take a moment to look over Naosuke’s words once more. You might get a deeper sense of what sort of person Naosuke was.