Chado Culture Awards

At Urasenke Konnichian, Tantansai Chado Culture Awards have been presented annually since 1966 to individuals who have made distinguished contributions to the cultural realm of chado. These awards were established in memory of the 14th-generation Urasenke grand master, Tantansai (d. 1964). Through the years, there have been forty-five laureates.       On the occasion of the succession of Zabosai SEN Soshitsu XVI as Urasenke grand master, from 2003 the Tantansai Chado Culture Awards have been revised and renamed the Chado Culture Awards (Chado Bunka-sho). Reflecting the recent official internationalization of the Urasenke Tankokai membership organization, the new qualifications for nomination make it possible for individuals outside Japan to be considered for the awards. The revised awards are as follows:

Chado Culture Award	Awarded to an individual who has rendered distinguished service towards fostering the spread and development of chado in general both within and outside Japan.
Chado Culture Advancement Award	Awarded to an individual who has rendered outstanding service in such areas as chado-related arts, crafts, and/or scholarship, the dissemination of chado (within or outside Japan), the nurturing of successors, the advancement of chado education in schools, the nurturing of Urasenke Tankokai Youth Division members, etc., and is roughly below the age of sixty-five, so as to have a promising future.

1st Chado Culture Award Laureates Fujio MATSUDA and OHI Chozaemon

Dr. Fujio MATSUDA, Honorary President of the Hawaii Association, receives the 1st Chado Culture Award at the Tankokai National General Meeting.

The recipient of the 1st Chado Culture Award was Dr. Fujio MATSUDA, who serves as Honorary President of the Urasenke Tankokai Hawaii Association and is the former president of the University of Hawaii. He was chosen to receive this award for his immense contribution to the development of chado outside Japan by establishing, at the University of Hawaii, the world's first university credit course on chado, and by establishing the University of Hawaii Urasenke Fellowship program to enable students to study in the Midorikai program at the Urasenke headquarters.       The recipient of the 1st Chado Culture Advancement Award was OHI Chozaemon, who is the 10th generation in the Ohi line of potters. He was chosen to receive this award for his outstanding work in continuing and developing the Ohi Ware tradition, founding the Ohi Museum, and contributing not only to the vitality of the chado but also of the crafts in the region of Kaga (Kanazawa).       This time, a Special Award for Meritorious Service was also presented. It went to YAMAMOTO Norikazu, who is General Executive Producer for NHK Educational Corp. As a leading journalist with a keen knowledge of chanoyu, he has been responsible for producing special television programs related to chanoyu, thus contributing largely to public appreciation and understanding of chado.       In keeping with the tradition of holding the presentation ceremony at the Urasenke Tankokai National General Meeting, the presentations of the 1st Chado Culture Awards took place at the Urasenke Tankokai 101st National General Meeting that convened on February 25, 2003, at the Rihga Royal Hotel in Kyoto.

Mr. OHI Chozaemon, the recipient of the Chado Culture Advancement Award.	Mr. YAMAMOTO Norikazu, the recipient of the Special Award for Meritorious Service.