The Omotesenke Domonkai Southern California Branch marked its 50th anniversary with a celebratory tea gathering and dinner party on Saturday, June 22, followed by a lecture by the 15th Grand Master of Omotesenke, Yuyusai Sosho, on Sunday, June 23. Originally scheduled for 2020, the event was postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and took place four years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
June 22: Celebratory Tea Gathering and Dinner Party<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n On June 22, we were blessed with splendid weather and the honor of welcoming the 15th Grand Master of Omotesenke, along with directors and instructors from Kyoto. The Consul General of Japan and his wife, along with many distinguished guests, were also in attendance. Over 230 members from the Southern California Branch, as well as members from the San Francisco and New York branches, other branches in Japan, and residents of LA, registered to participate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The celebratory tea gathering was held at the Pendry Hotel Newport Beach, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Branch members worked together to set up the tea ceremony spaces, offering two Koicha seki and four Ryurei seki in both the morning and afternoon sessions. The event’s theme was “handmade hospitality,” with members preparing both the sweets for the Koicha seki and the dry sweets for the Ryurei seki, providing guests with treats suitable for June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At 6 p.m., a dinner party was held at the same hotel, attended by the Grand Master, directors, instructors, Consul General Kenk\u014d Sone of the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles and his wife, and numerous distinguished guests from various Japanese organizations. It was a warm and grand gathering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n June 23: Special Lecture<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The fine weather continued on June 23, as the special lecture by the Grand Master took place at the Crystal Cove Auditorium in the Student Center of the University of California, Irvine. The lecture was promoted as a public lecture, inviting those interested in the tea ceremony, and approximately 300 people, including participants from the previous day’s tea gathering and dinner party, attended. A tea service was provided at the lecture venue, allowing attendees to enjoy tea before the lecture began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Grand Master’s lecture, which began at 1 p.m., lasted about an hour and was conducted in English. He interspersed his talk with jokes, discussing the founder of the tea ceremony, Sen no Riky\u016b, introducing Omotesenke, and explaining the culture of the Japanese tea ceremony, using reference materials. The attendees listened intently to the Grand Master’s speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both days concluded successfully, and we received numerous emails from various quarters praising the event as wonderful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The event was featured in several media outlets, including Japanese Radio Station: Sakura Radio at the following link:<\/p>\n\n\n\n