Ty19080914 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsMuseum & venue · Osaka
Sakai, home of Sen no Rikyu
さかい利晶の杜
Sen no Rikyu, the tea master who shaped the tea ceremony, was born in Sakai, a rich port town just south of Osaka. Sakai Plaza of Rikyu and Akiko (Sakai Rishonomori) tells his story, and that of Sakai-born poet Yosano Akiko. It stands on the site of Rikyu's family home.
The Sen no Rikyu Chanoyu Museum explains the history of tea and Sakai's merchant culture. Outside is Sakai Taian, a recreation of the tiny two-mat tea room that Rikyu designed. You can also sit down to a bowl of matcha and a Sakai sweet in the chair-style tea room.
What to see and do
Exhibits on Rikyu's life, the way of tea and the port town that shaped him.
A recreation of Rikyu's tiny tea room. The outside is free to view with a museum ticket; a guided viewing costs extra.
A 20-minute tea experience in chairs, with matcha and a Sakai sweet served by tea schools in turn.
A museum on the bold, modern poet born in Sakai.
What’s on
Good to know
- No reservation needed for the tea experience for individuals; sessions start about every 30 minutes.
- Ride the Hankai tram from Tennoji or Ebisucho and combine with Sumiyoshi Taisha on the same line.
More art nearby
Saigen Jiro · CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsSumiyoshi Taisha
National Treasure halls in one of the oldest shrine styles in Japan, and a steep arched bridge you climb over.
KENPEI · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsSakai knives
Sakai has forged blades since the 1500s, and many chefs in Japan still cut with them. The Hankai tram runs there.
Ogiyoshisan · Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsKitakagaya
A former shipbuilding district where warehouses became studios and walls became murals.
聖石大戦ぶぅぶぅ · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsCreative Center Osaka
Former shipyard buildings on the waterfront, now used for art events and studios.