Ikkyuu was born in 1394 in a small suburb of Kyoto. It is widely believed that he was the son of Emperor Go-Komatsu and a low-ranking court noblewoman. His mother was compelled to flee to Saga, where Ikkyuu was raised by servants. At the age of five, Ikkyuu was separated from his mother and placed in a Rinzai Zen temple in Kyoto called Ankoku-ji, as an acolyte. The temple masters taught Chinese culture and language as part of the curriculum, a method termed Gozan Zen. He was given the name Shuken, and learned about Chinese poetry, art, and literature.
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