Chado Urasenke Tankokai Singapore Association Seminar at Urasenke Headquarters

Temae practice in Chado Kaikan

Twenty-three members of the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Singapore Association were in Kyoto on June 21 and 22, 2005, and participated in a specially organized seminar for them at Urasenke Headquarters.             The Chado Urasenke Tankokai Singapore Association (originally, Urasenke Singapore Chapter) was inaugurated in 1991, and today it has a membership of over sixty. The Association has a lesson place in metropolitan Singapore, and is energetically involved in various outreach programs. Since Fall 2001, it has been in charge of teaching an elective chado credit course at Nanyang Technological University.             The morning of June 21, the participants in the seminar at Urasenke Headquarters met in the Chado Kaikan, and Daisosho SEN Genshitsu presented them with words of welcome and encouragement. Then they divided into three classes according to their levels of prior training, and engaged in temae practice guided by Konnichian deputy tea masters (gyotei) NAKANISHI Soshu, MACHITA Soryu, and SHIMURA Soko. Observing the lessons was Director YEOH Oon Chye of the Nanyang Technological University General Studies Unit, who is an advisor of the Association.

Temae practice in Chado Kaikan		Temae practice in Chado Kaikan

After lunch, they received a tour of the Konnichian historical tearoom complex, and learned about the history and features of the rooms and other elements of the complex.             In the evening, Daisosho, as Chairman of the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Inc. NPO, hosted a dinner party for the group, at a restaurant specializing in Japanese cuisine. The attendees on the Headquarters side included the three gyotei who had taught the classes that morning, and Director KIDO Takao of the Tankokai Headquarters' Office of Management.             In the morning of the second day, June 22, the group visited Daitokuji Jukoin. They viewed the main temple rooms, which have fusuma paintings that are designated as Important Cultural Properties, and also the tearooms. Also, they went into the cemetery and paid their respects at the tomb of SEN Rikyu and the tombs of the other Sen Family ancestors and relatives.             Thus ended the brief but eventful seminar schedule for the group during their time in Kyoto.

Tour of Konnichian		Tour of Konnichian