Death of a Tea Master (1989)

Years after the death of legendary tea master Sen no Rikyu, his disciple Honkakubo attempts to resolve the mystery of the master's final days. Honkakubo communes with his memories of Rikyu and discusses his philosophy with other disciples in an effort to understand Rikyu's final split from his longtime patron, the warlord Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Between dreams, flashbacks, and visions, Honkakubo comes to a greater understanding of the unique path that Rikyu tread through one of Japan's most violent yet culturally-robust eras. —David A. Conrad (www.davidconradauthor.com)