In the early Edo Period, Ogasawara Tadazane (1596-1667), the lord of the Kokura Domain, hired Ryōwa as Sadō (tea master).
Ryōwa claimed his family lineage for the Ogasawara Ko school, making him the 4th generation grandmaster after Furuichi Inei.
Inei was a famous master of tōcha tea gatherings who conducted extravagant events at Nara's Kōfuku-ji temple.
Inei's younger brother, Chōin, was also versed in the tōcha style, but later became attracted to Murata Shukō's new approach to tea as an outward expression of the inner life of Buddhism.
The Furuichi family continued in the role of Sadō of the Ogasawara feudal lord until the end of the Edo Period.