11th East Asia Tea Culture Symposium &
11th Panel Discussion on Culture and Peace in East Asia

The East Asia Tea Culture Symposium and Panel Discussion on Culture and Peace in East Asia which, as directed by Urasenke Daisosho Dr. SEN Genshitsu, have been organized by Urasenke headquarters since 2004, took place September 28 and 29, 2016. It was the 11th time for this pair of events to be held, and the venue for both was the Busan University of Foreign Studies (BUFS), South Korea. Approximately 340 people took part, including Dr. Sen and the invited scholars and panelists from Japan, China, and South Korea; Tankokai members from these and other countries of Asia; Urasenke International Association (UIA) members; and BUFS students.

September 28 With SEKINE Hideji (Urasenke Office of Management Executive Director / Urasenke Tankokai Federation Vice Chairman) as emcee, the program this day started with a tea offering ceremony (kenchashiki) in which Dr. Sen dedicated a bowl of tea before the flags of Japan, China, and South Korea, praying for peace among the three nations.

After this, Dr. Sen and BUFS President CHUNG Haelin, representing the organizations co-hosting the 11th East Asia Tea Culture Symposium, gave welcoming addresses.

Dr. Sen gives welcoming address

BUFS President CHUNG Haelin gives welcoming address

There were speeches by Ambassador NAGAMINE Yasumasa of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Consul General YAN Fenglan of the Chinese Consulate General in Busan, Chief KIM Byung-ki of the Busan Metropolitan City Culture and Tourism Bureau, and Chairman BAEK Jong Heon of the Busan Metropolitan Council.

Ambassador Nagamine	Consul General Yan

Bureau Chief Kim	Council Chairman Baek

Symposium co-hosts: Urasenke Tankokai Federation Busan University of Foreign Studies Supporters: South Korean (ROK) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Embassy of Japan in South Korea Consulate General of China in Busan Busan Metropolitan City

The Symposium theme was "One Course: The Spirit of Harmony." Dr. Sen delivered a keynote speech on this, in which he related about his first time visiting the USA, and said that "we are all living our lives on this planet, and so we need to join hands and consider what 'peace' means in the real sense of the term."

Paper presentation/discussion sessions followed, with ZHANG Jianli (Prof., Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) acting as moderator. The papers were as follows: "The Course of 'Harmony' in Japan's Tea Culture," by NO Geunsuk (Prof., Wonkwang Digital University, So. Korea). Discussant: SAKURAI Shigeki (Prof., Kyoto University Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Japan). "Chado, Harmony, and Daoism: Everything in the Universe is Connected," by SEKINE Hideji (Director and Prof., Traditional Culture Research Center, Heian Jogakuin St. Agnes' University, Japan). Discussant: CHONG Yeonghee (Adjunct Prof., Dongguk University, So. Korea). "About the Formation of the Concept of 'Harmony' and its Course," by CHEN Xiuwu (Prof. and Director, Japanese Research Institute, Northeast Normal University, China). Discussant: PARK Jeon Yull (Prof. Emeritus, Chung-Ang University, So. Korea). “The Mutual Direction of Korean, Chinese, and Japanese Tea Culture,” by SEO Eunmi (Researcher, Institute of Chinese Research, Pusan National University, So. Korea). Discussant: ZHANG Jianli (Prof., Chinese Academy of Social Sciences).     Summation: PARK Jeon Yull

NO Geunsuk and SAKURAI Shigeki	SEKINE Hideji and CHONG Yeonghee

CHEN Xiuwu and PARK Jeon Yull	SEO Eunmi and ZHANG Jianli

That evening, the attendees built friendships over food and drink at a grand banquet hosted by Dr. Sen at the Paradise Hotel.

Urasenke Tankokai Federation Advisor and UIA President AMAE Kishichiro raises the toast at the banquet.

September 29 Preceding the Panel Discussion program, from 9:00 A.M. a ceremony was held in which Dr. SEN Genshitsu was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in management (D.Mgt.) by BUFS, in recognition of his successes in organizing and managing the affairs of Urasenke within Japan and internationally. In Dr. Sen's speech to express his appreciation for this honorary degree from BUFS, he said that, as a transmitter of the Way of Tea, he intended to do good for the university "by means of a bowl of tea."

The Panel Discussion program commenced with words of welcome from Vice President WANG Xiuyun of the China-Japan Friendship Assn., representing the co-hosts, and an address by Consul General MORIMOTO Yasuhiro of the Consulate General of Japan in Busan.

Vice President Wang	Consul General Morimoto

Panel Discussion co-hosts: Urasenke Tankokai Federation Busan University of Foreign Studies China-Japan Friendship Association U.N. Association of Japan Supporters: South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs Embassy of Japan in South Korea Consulate General of China in Busan Busan Metropolitan City U.N. Association of China U.N. Association of South Korea

Prof. Emeritus KIM Yong Woon of Hanyang University then delivered the keynote speech, on "The Spirit of Wa (Harmony)." He talked about delicate differences in the Chinese, Korean, and Japanese interpretation of the word "Wa," and said that "tea is something that brings Peace worldwide."

The invited panelists then independently presented 20-min. speeches to introduce their views on certain issues, as follows: CHO Nam-uk (Prof. Emeritus, Pusan National University, So. Korea), on "An international peace theory as seen through the perspective of Confucianists and YI Toegye"; OKONOGI Masao (Prof. Emeritus, Keio University, Japan), on "The tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the tragedy of Korea’s division: A viewpoint toward Peace"; LIU Jiangyong (Prof., Tsinghua University, China), on "New directions for sustainable security in Northeastern Asia"; and PARK Myeong Heum (Director, Research Institute on the Future of the Korea-Japan Strait, ROK), on “Korea-Japan pacifists: The revival of SEN Rikyu in Korean TV dramas."

With Professor KATO Chihiro of the Doshisha University Graduate School (Japan) as moderator, there was then an hour-long discussion among these panelists, followed by a period for audience members to present questions to the panelists. Finally, Professor ZHOU Weisheng of Ritsumeikan University (Japan) gave a summary presentation.

KIM Yong Woon presents a question from the floor

On both days, Tankokai Busan Association members, together with the UIA members from Japan, served confections and matcha tea to all those attendees who came by for this hospitality.

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