Last week, I came back from Japan with perfect timing. Why do I think? It is because fortunately, I could meet Urasenke’s Grand Tea Master at his welcoming party held at the Harvard Club in NYC. Amazingly, he is 100 years old and flew from Kyoto to NYC to host a Kencha-Shiki, Ceremonial Tea Offering for Peace at the United Nations.
I met him for the first time and was deeply moved by the speech heard directly from him, so I would like to share it with you.
Grand Tea Master Dr.Genshitsu Sen, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador&longstanding supporter of the UN
I knew he was doing well and still traveling abroad, but I was very impressed by the way he entered the room with his back straight and steady steps, emitting an incredible aura.
Many people wanted to talk to him and take pictures with him, and everyone was very excited for the 100-year-old Grand Tea Master. Of course, I was one of them. He is very charming and has a great sense of humor. It may sound exaggerated, but his mere presence is amazing.
In his speech, he mentioned that he saw Henry Kissinger for the first time in a while. They are the same age. Kissinger is in a wheelchair and asked him, "Why do you stay in such good shape?" The tea master replied, "Because I drink matcha every day." His answer confirms the health benefits of matcha, which was very convincing.
You might think that he is an exceptionally fortunate individual for maintaining good health, traveling all over the world, and being loved by many people at the age of 100. However, if you know that he has gone through very painful and sad experiences in his life, you will understand the weight of his words and his presence.
During World War II, he was drafted at the age of 20 and later volunteered for the kamikaze pilot (which means Suicide Squad). Before he was ordered to go out, the war was over. Fortunately, he survived, but tragically most of his friends died that makes him very much suffer.
Later, he decided to overcome this painful experience and dedicate his life to spreading the message of peace throughout the world with a bowl of tea, as he was born as a descendant of the Great Tea Master Sen no Rikyu.
Continuing in his speech, he said, "A tea bowl is round; it has the shape of the Earth, and when we hold it with both hands, we hold our small Earth. Matcha is green. What will we do if the green disappeared from Earth due to war? Let's take good care of the green. Inside the tea bowl, there is much green. Please become one with the green inside the tea bowl when you drink tea. If you take a part of the tea and pray deeply in your heart for peace, I guarantee that people in the world will achieve peace and happiness."
Meeting him in person deepened my feelings toward a bowl of tea so I would like to continue sharing his message through the activity of Ki-Chu New York. Thank you very much for reading until the end.
You can watch the video of Ceremonial Tea Offering for Peace held at the UN on September 13th, 2023 from here: