Ikkyu is famous in Japan for his eccentric behavior. On the New Year's Day holiday in 1440, he appeared in the streets of Kyoto carrying a bamboo pole with a skull on the top, and crying, "Beware! Beware!" When the citizens reproached him, he answered, "Reminders of death should not spoil your celebrations. I am celebrating, too."
— Eric Chaline, The Book of Zen