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Suwada is Japanese craftsmanship & modern design

We are a Japanese factory, with an online boutique shop. We make, and curate items that make every day of your life happier, while lasting a long time.

Journal

What Is Wabi-cha? How Wabi Changed Japanese Tea

Wabi-cha is a historical current in chanoyu that changed how rooms, utensils and objects were valued. Learn how it developed from Murata Shukō through Takeno Jōō and Sen no Rikyū, why it did not simply reject luxury or Chinese objects, and how restraint became a positive tea aesthetic.

Who Was Genpaku Sotan? The Grandson Who Preserved Rikyu's Tea

Genpaku Sōtan was Sen no Rikyū’s grandson and a crucial transmitter of wabi-cha. Learn how he succeeded Shōan, built Konnichian, established positions for his sons and helped transform Rikyū’s legacy into the three enduring Sen family traditions.

Who Was Murata Shuko? The Early Master Behind Wabi-cha

Murata Shukō was a fifteenth-century tea master and Zen practitioner associated with the birth of wabi-cha. Learn why he challenged automatic preference for Chinese prestige objects, what “Wa and Kan” and hiekareru mean, and how his ideas led toward Takeno Jōō and Sen no Rikyū.
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