Oie-ryu School (a school of tea ceremony) (御家流 (茶道))
Oie-ryu school is a school of tea ceremony which had been traditionally practiced by Shigenobu group of Mikawa-Ando clan, which was a family of fudai daimyo (a daimyo in hereditary vassal to the Tokugawa family). It is also called Oie-ryu school of Ando family. Oie-ryu school takes its roots in Ichio-ryu school which was started by Iori ICHIO, who was a disciple of the tea ceremony master Sansai HOSOKAWA. The school has been passed down for generations by being further combined with the traditions of Oribe-ryu school of tea ceremony, Yonekawa-ryu school of kodo (incense-smelling ceremony), and Ise-ryu school of reiho (manners and etiquettes). Although the school had been prohibited to be taught and practiced outside Ando family as a tomeryu (protected school), it began to be taught to the public after 1970.
History
In the Ando family, Oribe-ryu school had been practiced since the time of Shigenobu ANDO, the first head of the family, when he served as roju (member of shogun's council of elders) for Hidetada TOKUGAWA, the second Shogun of Edo bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun). Nobutomo ANDO, the fourth head of the family, however, enjoyed various arts including waka (a traditional Japanese poem of 31 syllables), renga (linked verse), hokku (the first line of a waka poem), tea ceremony, kodo (incense-smelling ceremony), and Noh theater. For tea ceremony, he learned under Tadakata (also known as Takata or Michikata) YONEKITSU, who was a disciple of Iori ICHIO, and was taught from him the esoteric and specialist techniques. At that time, two others, Sosuke TSUKADA and Shusuke MIO, were present to receive Yonekitsu's teaching. Since then, Oribe-ryu school, together with Ichio-ryu school, was practiced in the Ando family.
But because Nobumasa, the 10th head of the family, joined Ouetsu-reppan domei (alliance among three provinces; Mutsu, Dewa, and Echigo) at the time of Meiji Restoration, the Ando family went through a confusing time as they lost a part of their territory and were deprived of their social status during Meiji period. During this time, the family's documents and tea ceremony tools were handed down by Sokichi MIO (三尾宗吉) and Junsuke Mio (三尾順助), who served the family as sadoyaku (a tea-server for tea ceremony of bakufu and domains) for generations, which were eventually passed onto Yuriko, the biological mother of Ayanobu, and have been preserved to this day.
It is the name of Nobukazu ANDO, the 16th head of the family, who is formally registered on the list of nobles at Kasumi kaikan Hall, the former Kazoku kaikan (literally, a hall for the peerage).