65th Year of Dr. Genshitsu SEN's International Work and
65th Anniversary of the Urasenke Tankokai Hawaii Association

Honolulu, Hawaii, was bustling with approximately 550 Urasenke chado followers February 19-21, 2016, to celebrate Urasenke Daisosho Dr. Genshitsu SEN's sixty-five years of international work and the 65th anniversary of the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Hawaii Association (original name, Urasenke Hawaii Chapter). For this 65th anniversary convention, approximately two hundred followers flew there from Japan, ninety from the US mainland and Canada, sixteen from the Asia region, twelve from Australia, four from places in Europe, and three from Argentina.      Friday February 19, the first of the official events took place; a Peace Prayer Kenchashiki conducted by Daisosho Dr. Genshitsu SEN at the Episcopalian Cathedral of St. Andrew located in the heart of Honolulu. His long good friends in Hawaii, Former Hawaii State Governor George ARIYOSHI, who is President of the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Hawaii Association, and wife, Former Hawaii State First Lady Jean ARIYOSHI, played central roles in organizing and leading this event. The Very Reverend Walter B.A. BROWNRIDGE presided at the service and offered a sermon on the theme of "Peace." Also, there was a reading of the Gospel by Former Hawaii State First Lady Lynne WAIHEE, who is President of Read to Me International. For the tea offering, Daisosho Dr. Sen solemnly prepared one bowl each of koicha (matcha of thick consistency) and usucha (matcha of relatively thin consistency). At the end of this Kenchashiki service, he presented a rousing address.

Jean ARIYOSHI serves as MC	George ARIYOSHI presents welcome address

V. Rev. Walter B.A. BROWNRIDGE	Lynne WAIHEE

Daisosho Dr. Sen prepares the tea offering	Daisosho Dr. Sen places the tea on the altar

Daisosho Dr. Sen presents a rousing address

The next day, Friday February 20, a commemorative chakai was held, with venues at the three tea rooms which have been built by Urasenke in Honolulu. At the Seikoan, located at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii (JCCH), members of the Urasenke associations in North America hosted koicha. For the temae (tea-making), they used the very same set of kaigu (matching water vessel, ladle stand, lid rest, and waste-water receptacle) used by Dr. Sen when, at age 28 and as yet the Urasenke Wakasosho (iemoto-to-be), he conducted one of his first official activities in the U.S.A., the serving of tea to delegates assembled for the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty of September 8, 1951. In the alcove was Urasenke Iemoto Zabosai’s calligraphy, Oimatsu sennen no iro (The old pine, a thousand years of color), an incense container made from a scallop shell that Dr. Sen's father, the 14th-generation Urasenke iemoto, Tantansai (1893-1964), had found on Waikiki beach, and flowers in a sahari (copper and silver alloy) hanging boat-shaped container.

San Francisco 9.08.1951	The same set of kaigu used by Dr. Sen on 9.08.1951

Incense container made from shell found on Waikiki beach by Dr. Sen's father.
	Dr. Sen at the Seikoan, the koicha tea venue.

The Urasenke North America Advisory Committee members, who took the lead in organizing and executing the Seikoan venue, take a commemorative photo with Dr. Sen.

In the Ohana room at the JCCH, which was the kosen (lit., fragrant brew) venue, the attendees could enjoy a cup of hibiscus tea served by members of the University of Hawaii (UH) Urasenke Chado Club. In the JCCH's Manoa Grand Ballroom, they could have tenshin (a light meal).

The Urasenke Hawaii Branch's Han'yoan was the venue for usucha hosted by the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Hawaii Association members. In the alcove hung a scroll which Daisosho Dr. Sen presented to the Association for this occasion, featuring his calligraphy, Fukuju kaimuryo (Boundless ocean of good fortune). The flowers were in a Mino-Iga ware container made by KATO Mitsuemon (b. 1937). The tea scoop used for the tea-making was made by Iemoto Zabosai and named "Tsurezure" (Ennui). Like the scroll by Dr. Sen, it was presented to the Association for this occasion. The four main tea bowls, all from Japanese kilns, were of varied styles. Among them, a Yatsushiro ware zogan koyomide bowl named "Furo Choju" (Perpetual Youth and Longevity) was used for the first guest. The handmade sweets were named Hoshi no shima, or "Island of Stars."

The alcove at the Han'yoan	The Han'yoan seating attended by Dr. Sen

Handmade sweet, "Island of Stars"        Right: The main implements, placed out for the guests' inspection

Many of the guests received their tea in tea bowls clearly having a Hawaiian theme

The Jakuan, on the Manoa Campus of the University of Hawaii, was the venue for usucha hosted by alumni of the Midorikai study program at Urasenke Headquarters, Kyoto. This tea house, together with its surrounding Japanese-style garden named "Seien" (Garden of Purity), was donated to the UH by Daisosho Dr. Sen in 1972, when he was in his 8th year as Urasenke iemoto (1964-2002). It normally serves as the practice facility for the UH Urasenke Chado Club. The scroll in the alcove here featured Dr. Sen's calligraphy, Juzan no jushoku kaki ni komoru (A pleasing spirit suffuses colorful trees on the auspicious mountain), and the flowers were in a container made by Midorikai alumni Richard MILGRIM. While many of the other implements were also by non-Japanese artisans and/or were created in countries other than Japan, the tea scoop, named "Tsuru Kame" (Crane and Tortoise), was by Iemoto Zabosai and was given by him to the Midorikai Alumni Association on this occasion, and the tea bowl for the first guest was Osuna ware with picture of pine trees on one side and verse about the seasons on the other, painted on the bowl by Tantansai. For sweets, heart-shaped white chocolates with pink filling, by See's Candies of California, were served.

	Dr. Sen at the Jakuan with his nieces

Some of the preparation team alumni.	Some of the alumni take commemorative photo with Dr. Sen on the day of the chakai.

That evening, there was a dinner reception in the garden at the Consulate-General of Japan in Honolulu, co-hosted by the Consulate-General (Consul-General Yasushi MISAWA) and the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Hawaii Association, with the Association's Assistant Chief Administrator Wayne MUROMOTO (Midorikai alumni) as MC. At this reception, Dr. Sen was presented with a Certificate of Aloha from the Mayor of the County of Hawaii, a Proclamation from the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, proclaiming February 21, 2016, as Dr. Genshitsu Sen Day, and a Proclamation from the Mayor of the County of Kauai, congratulating Dr. Sen and the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Hawaii Association. Also, the Association presented him with a special handmade feather lei having the Hawaiian name "Ka Mana'o Lana," meaning "Rich and abundant thoughts flowing like water."

Proclamation from Honolulu Mayor Kirk CALDWELL	With Kauai County Mayor Bernard P. CARVALHO, Jr. (center), and Hawaii County Mayor Billy KENOI	Feather lei presented by George ARIYOSHI

Songs of congratulation by tenor Takamasa YAMAMURA and soprano Seia LEE	A toast before the dinner

The morning of the final day, Sunday February 21, there was a ceremonial function, and the venue for this was the UH's John F. Kennedy Theatre. It began with a Wago Kencha-shiki in which Dr. Sen made an offering of a bowl of tea in prayer for Peace, and then prepared koicha for eleven representative guests who were seated on the stage. Serving as MC for this was Jean ARIYOSHI.

John F. Kennedy Theatre	Jean ARIYOSHI, MC for the Wago Kencha-shiki

The stage was then readied for the second part of the function, the Speeches and Awards. The MC for this part was Karl FOOKS (Midorikai alumni). Following an address by Chado Urasenke Tankokai Hawaii Association President George ARIYOSHI, Dr. Sen was presented with a Proclamation from the present Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the State of Hawaii naming February 12, 2016 as Genshitsu Sen Day and Tankokai Hawaii Association Day. A congratulatory speech by Consul-General Yasushi MISAWA followed, and then there were award presentations by Dr. Sen to three organizations — the Konnichikai Hawaii, Yushinkai, and University of Hawaii — which have rendered distinguished service to the Urasenke cause through the years; five individuals — Ethel Akagi, Yoshiko Furumizo, Nancy Koike, Ellen Nishida, and Betty Okubo — who have been Urasenke members in Hawaii for 50 years or more; and ten individuals — Vance Kinoshita, Wayne Muromoto, Takemi Nakasone, Sue Nishiguchi, Kazuko Shibata, Aiko Watanabe, Hideko Watanabe, Shizue Watanabe, Tammy Yoshimura, and Laurie Young — who have been members for 30 years or more.

Karl FOOKs as MC, with translator, Maya PERRY
	George ARIYOSHI delivers opening speech

Proclamation from the State of Hawaii	Consul-General Yasushi MISAWA

Satoru IZUTSU of the Konnichikai Hawaii	Jean ARIYOSHI of the Yushinkai	UH Manoa Chancellor Robert BLEY-VROMAN

The last event of the convention was a grand luncheon hosted by Dr. Sen in the Ballroom at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. An exhibition of photo panels recording important events in the history of Dr. Sen and the Chado Urasenke Tankokai Hawaii Association which was set up outside the Ballroom caught the attention of many of the nearly 600 attendees. As he had throughout most of the convention, Dr. Sen spent much of the time being photographed together with his friends and followers who had come to share with him in this joyful, memorable 65th anniversary convention in Hawaii.

George ARIYOSHI speaks as guest representative	Consul-General Yasushi MISAWA raises the toast

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