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THE NAME "TSUEN" IS FROM KOJIEN Japanese Dictionary |
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UKIYOE PICTURE OF THE TSUEN TEA SHOP BESIDE THE UJI BRIDGE
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All names are written in the Japanese fashion, <Last name + First name >
HEIAN ERA TO MUROMACHI ERA
| 1160 | The 1st Tsuen | The First Tsuen was a retired Samurai named
Furukawa Unai whose Samurai name was Tsuen
Masahisa. He was a Kashin of Minamoto Yorimasa - a head of the Genji Troop. Around this time, the Uji Bridge was a strategic spot on the only
route between Nara and Kyoto, over which
the Genji and Heike battled. When he retired,
Tsuen Masahisa began serving tea to tired
travellers while working as sentry for the
Uji Bridge. |
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| 1180 | In 1180, at the Uji Bridge, there was a huge battle (Ujigawa Battle) between Minamoto (Genji )Troops and Taira (Heike) Troops. Minamoto Yorimasa and Tsuen
Masahisa both fought there. Unfortunately,
the Minamoto Troops lost so Yorimasa committed
ritual suicide "Harakiri" at a
special place called "Ougi no shiba"
in Byodoin Temple - UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE. Tsuen Masahisa followed his master Yorimasa's example. That is why their graves are both in the Byodoin and why they are buried close together. Yorimasa's grave |
 Tsuen Masahisa's grave at Byodoin Temple, you can see the roof of their Phoenix Hall just over the grave. |
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| 1191 | Zen Master Eisai brought Tea seeds from China and planted in Uji History of Japanese Tea | ||
| Kamakura Era 1192 Muromachi Era 1338 |
Yorimasa and The 1st Tsuen's story became one of the KYOGEN play. Around this time, tea became very popular especially for monks and Samurais. |
 Kyogen TSUEN |
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| Since the 1st Tsuen settled at the site by the Uji bridge, Tsuen family succeeded. They served tea, and take care of the Uji Bridge. |  KAMA - kettle for boiling water used over 800 years. Its still sitting inside of the Tsuen Tea Shop today. |
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?-1455 |
The 7th Tsuen |
The 7th Tsuen was a friend of Ikkyu - Zen Monk. 1455, the 7th Tsuen passed away, then Ikkyu came to see him right away, and gave his calligraphy of his Zen words "Ippuku, Issen, Ichige no awa - A foam of one cup (of tea), one penny, one life" to the 7th Tsuen. |
 Statue of the TSUEN sculpted by Ikkyu |
| Also Ikkyu sculpted a statue of the 7th Tsuen. Today, we put a cup of tea, flower and incense for the statue every morning. |  Posing just like the Kyogen TSUEN |
ADUCHI MOMOYAMA ERA - EDO ERA
| The 8th Tsuen | The 8th Tsuen was a Tea-Monk, worked for the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. |  TSUBO-Tea Jar from 400 years ago |
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| The 10th and the 11th Tsuen | The 10the and 11the Tsuen worked for Toyotomi Hideyoshi. There is a wooden pail "Tsurube" made by Sen no Rikyu dating back 400 years which was traditionally used to draw water from the Uji river a top small veranda called "San no ma" on the Uji Bridge. This water was then used to make tea for Toyotomi Hideyoshi the Shogun of 16th Century Japan, who lived in a castle in Fushimi Momoyama, Kyoto, next to Uji area. |
 Tsurube - made by Sen no Rikyu |
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 San no ma - on the Uji Bridge where Tsuen draw water by Tsurube for Hideyoshi |
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| 1672 | The building now you can see of the Tsuen Tea Shop was built in the year 1672. The building of the Tsuen used to be rebuilt each time when the Uji bridge was rebuilt. |
MEIJI ERA TO TODAY
| MEIJI 1868 | The 20th Tsuen | Tsuen Yujiro | |
| TAISHO 1912 | The 21st Tsuen | Tsuen Junzaemon | |
| SHOWA 1926 | The 22nd Tsuen The 23rd Tsuen |
Tsuen Ryozo Tsuen Ryotaro |
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| 1980 | WINNING : Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award | ||
| Yoshikawa Eiji wrote about Tsuen Tea Shop in his novel "MIYAMOTO MUSASHI" |  MIYAMOTO MUSASHI |
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| 1995 | cafe TSUENJAYA SAWARABI Open |  Matcha and Chadango |
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| 2001 | Tsuen Tea Shop cafe part was remodeled |  have a tea with great view of the Uji river and Uji Bridge. |
