Japanese royal couple Two members of the imperial family of Japan have arrived in Hawaii to take part in ceremonies celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Urasenke Foundation of Hawaii, a school devoted to the Japanese tea ceremony.
arrives for tea
ceremony celebration
Urasenke Foundation is
commemorating its 50
years in HawaiiPrince Takamado, a cousin of Emperor Akihito, and his wife, Princess Hisako, arrived in Honolulu yesterday morning.
The prince and princess plan to take part in tea ceremonies all week and also are scheduled to meet with state officials, including Gov. Ben Cayetano and Japanese Consul General Minoru Shibuya.
"I think it is always a significant occasion when a member of the royal family comes to Hawaii," said Chance Gusukuma, a foundation spokesman. "I think it lends a certain credibility to the event and a validation of the perpetuation of the traditional cultural practices by the local community."
The last visit to Hawaii by a member of the Japanese imperial family was in 1999 when Princess Sayako, the emperor's only daughter, paid a weeklong visit to the islands.
The prince and princess are scheduled to take part in events including a wreath presentation at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl and a tour of the University of Hawaii Marine Biology Research Center.
Urasenke officials say the signature event of their visit will be a "kencha-shiki," a sacred tea-offering ceremony Friday morning at Iolani Palace.
The prince and princess were invited to attend the ceremonies in part because they are related by marriage to Soshitsu Sen XV of Kyoto, the 15th-generation grand tea master whose family dates back 400 years.
Takamado's older sister is married to the grand master's son, Muneyuki Sen.
Tea traditions
The Urasenke Foundation of Hawaii, a school devoted to the traditional Japanese tea ceremony, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this week. Events open to the public include:
>> Tuesday: 5:30 p.m., tea utensil exhibit grand opening, Honolulu Academy of Arts.
>> Friday: 9 a.m., Kencha-shiki, tea-offering ceremony, Iolani Palace.
"His (Sen's) household has been the steward of this traditional Japanese tea ceremony school for generations," Gusukuma said. The father and son "have kind of presided over this move to expand the reach and the practice and the appreciation of the tea ceremony overseas."
The Hawaii chapter, established in 1951, was the first of Urasenke's overseas schools. The foundation has since established chapters in 32 countries, including Canada, France, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, China, Singapore and the Philippines.
Bruce Hamana, translator to the grand tea master, said the royals' visit to Hawaii is important not only for the school, but also for the Japanese community as a whole.
"It's probably more important for the Japanese people who are attending because they know about the imperial family," Hamana said. "But for the Japanese-American community here in Honolulu, I think it is a big event for them as well because they will have various opportunities to meet them."
He also said he hopes the visit serves as an educational experience.
"This may encourage them to become more interested in what we are doing," he said.