Sen no Rikyū (1522 – April 21, 1591) was a Japanese tea master during the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods, revered as the 'Tea Saint.' Born in Sakai to a merchant family, he studied tea ceremony under Takeno Jōō and developed the wabi-cha style, emphasizing simplicity, naturalness, and introspection. Rikyū served Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi as a tea advisor, profoundly influencing Japanese tea culture. He designed tea rooms like Tai-an and tea utensils such as Raku bowls, embodying wabi-sabi aesthetics. His conflict with Hideyoshi led to his forced seppuku, but his legacy endures in tea traditions.