Tsuchida Yuko (土田友湖)
Yuko TSUCHIDA is a fukuroshi (a craftsman who makes pouches), one of the Jisshiki (the ten artisan families which contributed to the existence of the Omote Senke) in House of Sen. Since the second family head, the common name of the successive family heads has been Hanshiro and they have called themselves Yuko after they retired and took up the tonsure. The family's occupation was sewing kimono (clothes) up to the era of the fifth family head, but since then, the family has been engaged in the production of tea utensils such as shifuku (a pouch to be used for putting in a tea container), fukusa (silk cloth to be used in tea ceremony) and Kakuobi (Japanese belt (obi) for men). The family head as of 2007 is the 12th Yuko TSUCHIDA (he succeeded in 1965).
The family line
It has been handed down that the ancestor of Tsuchida family was Shichdayu TSUCHIDA, a samurai (warrior) hailed from Tsuchida-mura, Gamo-gun, Omi Province, and the family later became a vassal of Naomasa II, the first lord of the Hikone Domain, and served as teppo-kumigashira (the head of gun troop) successively.
Although Hanpei, the fourth descendant from Shichidayu, was to be a successor, his mother died early and his step mother gave birth to a baby boy.
Under such situation, Hanpei transferred the headship of the family to his half brother with the same father, gave up the status of samurai and became a broker of Nishijin-brocade with the name of 'Echigoya Hanbei.'
While working as a broker, he studied sewing pouches and started to produce shifuku for tea containers with the support of the sixth grand master of Omote Senke, Kakukakusai.
Succesesive family heads of Tsuchida family
The first Yuko (1687 - 1757, Shichidayu TSUCHIDA, common name: Hanpei or Kanbei, go (pen name): Yuko or Fusensai)
Although he was a broker of Nishijin-brocade initially, he later became a disciple of fukuroshi Sori KAMEYAMA and succeeded his family business. He became fukuroshi for House of Sen in the era of the sixth grand master of Omote Senke, Kakukakusai, and was given the go of Yuko by the seventh grandmaster, Joshinsai.
The second Hanshiro (1736 - 1757, Buddhist name: Ryoen)
He was a son of Fusensai, the first, and died while Fusansai was in life.
The third Hanshiro (1746 - 1784, go: Ittokusai Yuho)
He was a nephew of the first. He was the eldest son of Chojiya Kahei. He was an adopted son of Ryoen.
The fourth Kakujuin Sadamatsu (1719 - 1801)
She was an elder sister of Hanshiro, the second, and her real name was Kuni. As the children of Hanshiro, the third family head, were very young, she succeeded the family business at the behest of the eighth grand master of Omote Senke, Sottakusai. Although the family's house was burnt down in 1788 because of the Great Fire of Tenmei, she reconstructed it with the help of Sottakusai.
The fifth Hanshiro (1778 - 1825, go: Shinjo, Renjo)
He was the eldest son of Ittokusa, the third family head. Because families which had been engaged in producing Fukusa, such as Muromachi Ichimonjiya Sanemon and Sasaya Kanemon, became extinct around that time, he started to produce fukusa through the good offices of the ninth grand master of Omote Senke, Ryoryosai.
The sixth Hanshiro (1803 - 1883)
He was a son of the fifth. Although he strived to restore the family's genealogical table and hidensho (a book of family's secret technique) which had been burnt down in the Great Fire of Tenmei, he encountered the Conspiracy of Hamaguri-gomon Gate and again lost everything including his house and a book on family tradition.
The seventh Hanshiro (1835 - 1911, go: Chosetsu)
He came from Nishigaki family. He became a member of Tsuchida family as an adopted son. He was patronized by the 11th grand master of Omote Senke, Rokurokusai. He was closely acquainted with Kichizaemon RAKU.
The eighth Hanshiro (1861 - 1911, Sennosuke, go: Tansetsu)
He married into the family of Asa, the eldest daughter of the seventh. He died a month after he lost his father-in-law, Chosetsu.
The ninth Hanshiro (1892 - 1914, Yasujiro)
He was a second son of Tansetsu, the eighth. He died at the young age of 22 years old.
The 10th Josetsuin Myoyo (1859 - 1940)
Her secular name was Asa who was an eldest daughter of Chosetsu, the seventh, and a wife of the eighth. She succeeded the headship of the family because her husband, eldest son and second son died early and her third son was very young.
The 11th Hanshiro (1902 - 1965)
He was the third son of Tansetsu, the eighth, and his real name was Ryozo. Although he succeeded the headship of the family in 1940 when his mother Asa, the 10th, died, he was called up for military service several times during the Pacific War. After the war, he succumbed to a disease in 1954 when the revival of Sado (tea ceremony) was in the bud and after repeated hospitalization, he died without being able to devote himself to family business.
The 12th Hanshiro (1939 -)
He is a second son of Ryozo, the 11th, and his real name is Yozo. He is the present family head, Yuko TSUCHIDA.