36th Urasenke Hawai'i Seminar

The annual Urasenke Hawai'i Seminar gives Urasenke followers in Japan an opportunity to broaden their perspectives and also engage in friendship exchange with fellow Urasenke followers of Hawai'i. This year's seminar counted as the 36th and was attended by seventy-one registrants, including fifteen invited school students who belong to the Gakko Chado program at their schools.       Arriving in Honolulu the morning of July 18, they went to the Outrigger Reef Hotel overlooking Waikiki Beach for an inaugural meeting and lunch. The next day, they were guests of the Urasenke Tankokai Hawai'i Association at a friendship exchange tea gathering held at the Honolulu Japanese Culture Center's Seikoan tea room and the Prince Hotel, and at a luncheon party at the Prince Hotel.

Daisosho as first guest at the Seikoan	Hawaiian entertainment at the Prince Hotel luncheon

July 20 was the first day of the seminar at the Manoa campus of the University of Hawai'i (UH). Following an opening speech by Daisosho SEN Genshitsu, AMAE Kishichiro, who currently is a councilor for the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and an advisor for the Chado Urasenke Tankokai, Inc. NPO, delivered a lecture in which he explained about the diplomatic problems in the various countries where he was positioned during his career as a diplomat. He concluded by saying that the ecological frame of mind innate within chado and other modes of Japanese culture is a key to overcoming the problems.

Daisosho SEN Genshitsu	AMAE Kishichiro

In the afternoon, Daisosho led a workshop on the group chanoyu exercises Shaza-no-shiki and Ichi-ni-san-no-shiki. Members of the Youth Division of the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Hawai'i Association performed the exercises, and Daisosho provided explanations.

Shichijishiki group chanoyu exercises workshop

July 21, there were two lectures. The first was by Kent CALDER, Director of the Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C. It was titled "Twenty-First Century Tea Diplomacy." Using examples of Daisosho's activities as a tea ambassador, he stated that chado is a means of dialogue between people and nations that transcends politics and religion. The second lecture was by G. Shabbir CHEEMA, Sr. Fellow and Coordinator for Asia-Pacific Governance and Democracy Initiatives at the East-West Center. He spoke on the importance of "Democratic Governance for Human Development in Asia and the Pacific."

Kent CALDER	G. Shabbir CHEEMA

This completed the specially arranged seminar at the university, and the registrants each received a certificate of attendance. Then, after lunch, they visited the Jakuan tea house and neighboring Jefferson Hall on the campus, for a tea gathering hosted by the UH Chado Club and Chado Urasenke Tankokai Hawai'i Association Youth Division

Daisosho as first guest at the Jakuan	Tea service at the Jakuan

That evening, Daisosho hosted a banquet party at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Japanese Consul-General KUNIKATA Toshio and UH President David MCCLAIN offered greeting speeches. Also, Past Hawai'i Governor George ARIYOSHI came up to receive from Daisosho the Special Award for Meritorious Achievements that he had been awarded at the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Inc. NPO General Meeting held in Kyoto in February.

Daisosho conveys the Special Award to George ARIYOSHI

From the 22nd to the 25th, the registrants could stop by at the Urasenke Hawai'i Branch's Han'yoan tea room next door to their accommodation, The Breakers Hotel, for a bowl of tea. Before their departure back to Japan on the 26th, on the 25th there was a Sayonara Garden Party by the poolside at The Breakers.

Tea at the Han'yoan