33rd Urasenke Hawaii Seminar & 15th Anniversary Celebration
of Chado Urasenke Tankokai Maui Association

The Urasenke Hawaii Seminar has been a regular event on the Urasenke calendar ever since 1972, when a large tour group accompanied Dr. Genshitsu SEN ( then known as Iemoto Soshitsu SEN XV) from Japan to participate in the presentation ceremony for the Jakuan tea house and Seien tea garden donated by Urasenke to the East-West Center, located on the Manoa Campus of the University of Hawaii (UH). This year, the 33rd seminar took place over the days of July 18-26, and included special events on the island of Maui, celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Maui Association (Urasenke Maui Association).

Those on the seminar package plan from Japan arrived in Honolulu around noon on July 18, and were taken straightaway to attend an inaugural meeting and luncheon before checking in at their group lodging, The Breakers Hotel next door to the Urasenke Hawaii Branch quarters.

Inaugural meetingThe Breakers Hotel

      The next morning, two charter buses awaited them at the hotel, to take them to Architecture Auditorium on the UH Manoa Campus for the first of two mornings of lectures. The first lecture was by Dr. Genshitsu SEN, who holds as post as professor in the UH History Department, and the second was by Dr. W. Wayne FARRIS, who is UH Soshitsu Sen XV Chair Professor of History and teaches the course "The Way of Tea in Japanese Culture."

Architecture Auditorium
Dr. Genshitsu SENDr. W. Wayne FARRIS (UH)

      After lunch, the UH Chado Club, affiliated with the UH Center for Japanese Studies, hosted a friendship tea gathering for the seminar participants, at the Jakuan tea house and Jefferson Hall, which is right by the tea house.

Jakuan tea houseJefferson Hall


      In the evening, Dr. Sen sponsored a banquet at the Honolulu Prince Hotel, which was attended by approximately two hundred invited guests, including all the seminar participants.

Banquet sponsored by Dr. Sen


The morning of July 20, there were again two lectures at the UH Architecture Auditorium. Dr. Sen gave the first, and the second was by Dr. Terance BIGALKE of the East-West Center, who talked about the earthquake and disastrous tsunami that hit Southeast Asia last year. This ended the core seminar program, and the registrants each were handed a certificate of seminar completion from Dr. Sen.

Dr. Sen gave lectures for two days.Dr. Terance BIGALKE (EWC)

Certificate presentation ceremony


The morning of July 21, all the seminar participants took a plane to Maui, to attend the celebratory events for the 15th anniversary of the Urasenke Maui Association. The first event was a kencha-shiki (tea offering ceremony) by Dr. Sen at the Paia Hanazono Myoshinji Rinzai Zen Mission, honoring the Japanese immigrant pioneers who settled on Maui. At the temple, members of the Urasenke Maui Association provided tea service to the participants.

  • Kencha-shiki (tea offering ceremony)   (Paia Hanazono Myoshinji Rinzai Zen Mission)






  • Commemorative tea gathering



    • Tankokai Hawaii AssociationTankokai Kona Association

    Tankokai Hilo Association

          In the afternoon, everyone moved to the Maui Prince Hotel, for a tea gathering jointly hosted by members of the Urasenke Hawaii, Kauai, and Hilo Associations. Then, in the evening there was a commemorative ceremony and banquet for the Urasenke Maui Association's anniversary, at which Dr. Sen presented awards to eight members of the association, commending them for their long years of meritorious service. The awardees were UH Maui Community College Chancellor Clyde SAKAMOTO (Honorary President of the Urasenke Maui Association); Paia Myoshinji Zen Mission Abbot Ryozo YAMAGUCHI (Advisor), Daniel MAYEDA (Honorary Officer), Lillian MAEDA (President), Takako DICKINSON (Vice President), Akiko TANIMOTO, Chieko NAGATA, and Mary NAKAMURA.

    Banquet for the Maui Association's anniversaryAward presentation


    Sightseeing scenes on Maui

          The group from Japan all stayed at the Maui Prince Hotel that night, and the next day enjoyed a sightseeing bus tour of Maui. Taking a flight back to Honolulu that evening, they had free time until the Sayonara Party the evening of July 25. Many dropped by at the Hanyoan tearoom at the Urasenke Hawaii Branch, to have a bowl of tea there, hosted by members of the Urasenke Hawaii Association, who took turns keeping the kettle on the fire.

    Members of the Urasenke Hawaii Association serve tea to visitors at the Hanyoan tearoom


          At the Sayonara Party, which was held at the Hawaii Prince Hotel, there was a variety of local Hawaiian entertainment. Also, the school students belonging to the Urasenke Gakko Chado program in Japan who were invited to attend this year's Urasenke Hawaii Seminar sang a song together on the stage, as an expression of their thanks.
          The next morning, as the package plan participants from Japan were taking leave of The Breakers Hotel in order to board the charter bus to the airport for their flight back to Japan, the hotel staff presented each with a lovely farewell lei.

    At the Sayonara Party

    The Gakko Chado students sing a song.

    Warm farewell

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