Rikyu's Hundred Verses

Written in the 16th century, ‘Rikyū’s Hundred Verses’ are a set of rules for the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, or ‘chanoyu’. In the original Japanese, the verses are composed in a style known as ‘waka' or ‘tanka’, which limits the number of syllables and lines. This format makes the poems mnemonic devices for the fundamental philosophy and practical teachings of chanoyu.