Daisosho SEN Genshitsu Visits Abu Dhabi

Daisosho SEN Genshitsu visited Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), from October 16 to 22, 2008, by invitation of HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed AL NAHYAN, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The visit was to offer the Crown Prince a chance to experience the Japanese Way of Tea. During the short visit, Daisosho hosted a tea gathering for the Crown Prince and also, separately, for the Crown Prince's wife, and was also able to introduce the Japanese Way of Tea at three other important venues.

Chakai at BMENA 5th Forum for the Future Flying in from Paris, where he had participated in the opening events on October 15 for the "Art Treasures from Shokokuji, Kinkakuji, and Ginkakuji Temples: Zen and Art in Kyoto" exhibition at the Petit Palais Museum, Daisosho arrived in Abu Dhabi late at night on October 16. His first official engagement was in the evening of October 18. It was to conduct a tea gathering for participants of the Broader Middle East North Africa (BMENA) 5th Forum for the Future ministerial meeting that was taking place at the Emirates Palace Hotel.       The tea gathering was co-hosted by UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed AL NAHYAN and Japanese Foreign Minister NAKASONE Hirofumi, and for it a portable eight-tatami tea room shipped from Urasenke Headquarters was set up in a large tent outdoors. Ambassador HATANO Takuma of the Japanese Embassy in the UAE introduced Daisosho to the attendees, who numbered approximately one hundred. With this, Daisosho stepped up to the microphone and explained that he hoped everyone could feel the preciousness of our green earth by partaking of the bowl of green tea that he would prepare. Sitting at the tea-preparation tatami, he first made a bowl of tea as an offering in prayer for peace in the Middle East. He then prepared tea for the co-hosts, while the young ladies -- Urasenke students who had been recruited from Tokyo to assist with the events -- served the others.

Emirates Palace Hotel

Chakai at the Palace of HH Crown Prince Mohammed On October 19, at the palace of HH Crown Prince Mohammed, Daisosho first of all enjoyed an audience with HH and HH's close associates and brain trusters whom HH had invited to share in this day's private tea gathering.      A four-and-a-half tatami tea house had been shipped from Urasenke Headquarters, so that the Crown Prince could have as authentic an experience as possible. The Crown Prince and his fellow guests viewed Daisosho's temae (tea-making) and were served sweets and usucha (tea of relatively thin consistency), after which Daisosho invited them into the tea house and showed HH how to perform temae.      Local TV stations and newspapers gave major coverage of this special chakai at the palace.

Daisosho has audience     with HH Crown Prince Mohammed

	HH Crown Prince Mohammed makes tea

Lecture-Demonstration for University Students The morning of October 20, Daisosho led a program to introduce university students to the Way of Tea. It was held at the Centre for Documentation and Research, and the audience comprised two hundred selected students from various colleges and universities in Abu Dhabi. Following a lecture by Daisosho about some of the key aspects of the Way of Tea, members of his suite from Japan performed a demonstration of a simple tea gathering, for which Konnichian Deputy Tea Master KURAKAZU Sokaku provided the explanations. Afterwards, all the attendees were served sweets and usucha, and many of them came up to the demonstration area to examine the implements and try sitting on the tatami.

Centre for Documentation and Research	Daisosho delivers lecture

Demonstration of a tea gathering

Chakai at the Japanese Ambassador's Residence From 2:30 P.M. on October 20, Ambassador HATANO hosted a tea gathering at his official residence, for thirty invited government officials and foreign diplomats. Daisosho explained to them about the Way of Tea, and performed temae for them at a Misonodana tea table. Receiving the first bowl of tea was HE Sheikha Lubna AL QASIMI, UAE Minister for Economy and Planning, who tried whisking a bowl of tea herself afterwards.

Daisosho performs temae at the     Japanese Ambassador's official residence	HE Sheikha Lubna AL QASIMI makes tea

Chakai for Princess Sheikha Salama The morning of October 21, Daisosho presented a tea gathering for Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed's wife, Sheikha Salama bint Hamdan, and other ladies of the royal family and their lady guests at the palace of Sheikha Sheikha bint Saif, wife of HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed AL NAHYAN. The portable tea house that had been used for the tea gathering for the Crown Prince had been moved here, for this final program by Daisosho this time in Abu Dhabi. Sheikha Sheikha and Sheikha Salama graciously hosted a luncheon party for Daisosho and his suite following the tea gathering.