The smooth skin and alert eyes of Grand Master Soshitsu Sen XV (yes, fifteenth!) belies his 79 years, 45 of which have been devoted to the "family business" of studying, refining and teaching the ancient art of Chado, the Way of Tea, known commonly in English as the tea ceremony.

"I always tell non-Japanese people that 'tea ceremony' is a mistranslation," said Dr. Sen in an interview published by Nobleharbor Tea Info, "Because in Japan it is called chado, the 'Way of Tea,' or chanoyu, 'hot water for tea.'  I also tell them that it is not a ceremony or a ritual, but a way of life based on the act of serving tea with a pure heart."

Dr. Sen is the direct descendant of the revolutionary 16th century tea master Rikyu Sen (1522-91), who established many of the features that define modern tea ceremony, such as planning gardens that heighten one's awareness of nature, and giving teahouses their signature low opening such that all visitors, from samurai to peasants, would need to crouch down humbly to enter it. Rikyu Sen was legendary in his time, being the preferred tea master to such historical personages as Nobunaga Oda (1534-82) and Hideyoshi Toyotomi (1536-98), who—along with Ieyasu Tokugawa—were credited with unifying Japan.

After Rikyu's death, his style of serving tea branched into three main schools—the Omotesenke, Mushanokoji-senke and Urasenke traditions.   Soshitsu Sen is currently head of the latter school, a position that he inherited from his father through the iemoto (“grand master”) system, the custom of passing a family's tradition down through the eldest son.

Although the tea ceremony is considered the epitome of traditional Japanese culture, Urasenke—from its headquarters in Kyoto— has established some 80 centers around the world, including a local chapter here in Los Angeles (see article “My Way of Tea”). This global reach is an integral part of Dr. Sen's mission to bring people together.

"It is ironic that chado—which brings together many different aspects of traditional culture into a form that is peculiarly Japanese—could play a role in internationalization, which involves going beyond the boundaries of our own culture to embrace our common humanity," he said. "Understanding cannot be gained by simply reading a newspaper, watching television, or accumulating information. To get to know another person, we invite that person to share food and drink with us, something that is a universal act. Heartfelt hospitality is the highest tribute that we can offer our guest, and is something which is recognized in all cultures around the world."

Far more than just a formalized tea party, the tea ceremony has deep roots in Zen philosophy. Driven by the four ideals of Wa, Kei, Sei, Jaku (Harmony, Respect, Purity, Tranquility), it strives to create a state of mind that brings peace to its participants. Tea masters, in fact, must study Zen Buddhism as part of their training. Dr. Sen took his Buddhist vows in 1949 at the Daitokuji Temple under Goto Zuigan Roshi, and he received his Buddhist name, Kyoshin, in 1973 under Kajiura Itsugai Roshi, the chief of Myoshinji Temple.

Dr. Sen hopes to spread his vision of peace throughout the world.

"It is my sincere belief that in the egalitarian sharing of a bowl of tea with one's guest, a sense of peacefulness is created which can have an effect on the world. If you and your guest share that feeling of peacefulness with two others, then it will spread to four people. If each of those four people shares it with others, and so on, the number will expand exponentially, like ripples on the surface of a lake, creating an outflowing of peace," he said.

Dr. Sen first introduced Chado to the United States in 1951 as part of a cultural delegation which sought to foster understanding between the two nations. That event will be commemorated by a 50th anniversary celebration held throughout Southern California during September 13-15 (see Event Info). He invites everyone, from beginners to experts to the merely curious to attend the events.

"Human beings, whether they are living here or in another country, all have the same basic needs—food, shelter, clothing, and companionship. Beyond that we have spiritual needs, which can be met through the tenets of the Way of Tea. Chado allows us to interact with other people, with nature, and with our immediate environment on a very basic, satisfying level. This is why I believe Tea attracted many people in the past, and why it continues to do so in the present."

Event Information

• Friday, September 13
  Lecture by Dr. Soshitsu Sen XV, Kyoto-based Grand Master of Chado, the Way of Tea. Presented by Institute for the Study of Asian Cultures, Pepperdine University. Location: Smothers Theater Time: 10:30 AM. Tickets: Presented to the public at no charge. Reservations and information: Center for the Arts: 310/506-4594.

• Saturday, September 14
  Offertory tea ceremony for Peace by Grand Master Sen. Presented by the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in collaboration with the UCLA World Festival of Sacred Music. Location: George and Sakaye Aratani /Japan America Theatre (JAT), 244 South San Pedro Street, Little Tokyo, downtown Los Angeles. Time: 10 AM. Tickets: $12. Reservations and information: 213/680-3700.

• Sunday, September 15
  Lecture and demonstration by Grand Master Sen on Chado-the Way of Tea, and the relationship between the tea ceremony and the arts of Japan. Since the sixteenth century, tea masters have influenced the aesthetics and development of ceramics, lacquer ware, architecture, and garden design. Location: Bing Auditorium, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles Time:  2 PM. Tickets: free with museum admission.  Information and reservations: 323/857-6000.

For additional information on the North American Convention, call 213/680-3700

My Way of Tea  David Kudo 9/2002

Ms. Sosei “Susie” Matsumoto, recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship in 1994 and the highest-ranking instructor in the U.S. for Urasenke, was kind enough to share with us some details of her life on the 50th anniversary of Sado Urasenke. She claims to have had an impact in the teaching of over 1000 students over her 60 years career in tea.

Congratulations on the 50th anniversary of Sado Urasenke Tankoukai North American Convention, L.A. District.  What is the “National Heritage Fellowship” award?”

The National Endowment designates the award for the Arts. Every year, approximately 300 people are nominated for this award.  In case of last year, 11 people including myself were presented the award. The recipients were selected from various kinds of fields after careful consideration.  This award was established to acknowledge the excellence, authenticity, and contribution to their art. Further, it helps the preservation and education of folk and traditional arts. In my case, since 1951, I pioneered the services of spreading Sado [also called Chado], which is part of traditional Japanese culture. This established the recognition for the award.

On September 21st, Hillary Clinton, then First Lady, presented me the plaque at the Caucus Hall on the Capitol Hill. “I was very grateful. There have been two Japanese-American recipients in the past. However, I hadn’t even thought of getting the award for myself. This honor is not only for myself, but also for Japanese Sado so that it would remain forever in the American culture.” This recognition originated 43 years ago, when the Iemoto, the head of the family [also translated as "Grand Master"], started the tradition.

I understand you were born in Hawaii.  It might be inappropriate to ask the age of a lady, but what year were you born?

Yes. I am a second generation Japanese-American who was born in 1920 in Hawaii. I came to Los Angeles when I was 3 years old. I was a fashion designer here. However, my parents passed away, and I moved to Shiga, Japan—where my brother lived—in 1941, the first year of WWII. I moved to Japan in March and the war started in December. The relationship between Japan and America was growing worse at that time.

Soon after I moved to Shiga, a local newspaper carried an article about me as a second generation Japanese-American. Then I became acquainted with Mrs. Terao, the wife of a doctor.  She was a good friend of Tantansai [a Sado Iemoto] and introduced me to him. It happened that he was by himself. He said, “Oh, you are from America, then try Japanese tea,” and he brewed me a tea. Mrs. Terao said, “Susie, it is amazing that the Iemoto brewed you a tea. You must have a special connection with him." It was the beginning of my relationship with Sado Urasenke.

Because WW II had started in December, I could not come back to America. The American consul inquired of me my intention; I had no choice but to stay in Mitsuidera, Shiga. Sometimes military policemen came to search me since I was Japanese-American. WWII ended while I was the principal of a dress making school. During this time, Seikouin and others in Urasenke treated me as if I were one of their families. Tantansai also took me into the tea ceremony and educated me.

You had a hard time during the WWII.  When did you come back to the United States?

The war ended in 1945.  I came back here in 1947. Until then, we ordinary people were not able to come back. I was in Japan 7 years.  When I came back to America, Tantansai and Seikouin gave me a tea ceremony set and said, “Susie, drink tea with this set even though you are in America." I was very pleased and grateful. However, we did not have any room to spare in Los Angeles at that time.  Everyone just returned and did not even have a place to live. It was not surprising that 6 families lived in one room in a hotel. Yet, I believed that was the time to keep my head and think about the future. I assured myself that Sado was the best way for achieving it.

I married Eddie Matsumoto in 1948.  He is a Japanese-American engineer. He was in a military camp, but he had a horrible experience as a Japanese-American. We met with through an introduction from our friends. Because I was doing Sado, he was interested in Japanese culture and traditions.

1951 is a memorable year...I experienced many incidents. This year, the Iemoto came to visit the United States and established branches of Urasenke in Hawaii, San Francisco and New York.  On June 15th, the Los Angeles branch was established as the second branch overseas. Katsuma Mukouda of the Japanese-American community became president of the branch. He is now 103 years old and possesses the Second Order of Merit from Japan. I had just entered my 30's, but I was designated as a Vice President.

In the same year, 20th Century Fox had started filming the movie “East is East” [also known as “Japanese War Bride” (1952)]. The Iemoto was supposed to teach Sado to the Japanese actress Yoshiko Yamaguchi. However, because of the convention in Washington D.C., he was not able to make a time. Then I was told to teach her instead of the Iemoto. But, it is impossible to master Sado so quickly. In the end, King Vidor, the director of the movie, asked me to perform. I acted as the mother of ToshikoYamaguchi and performed brewing tea. Later, Tantansai watched the movie and said, “Susie, you are very good at doing that.”

In May, when the filming was finished, I opened the first Sado School in Los Angeles. Then, in September when the San Francisco Peace Treaty was concluded, the Iemoto came to Los Angeles with Shigeru Yoshida, then prime minister of Japan, and introduced Sado in De Young Museum. At this time, Suzuki Daisetsushi had a lecture “Tea and Zen.” I performed brewing tea while the Iemoto introduced Sado. These incidents seemed to become a reason for my award.

At the beginning of that year, I held a lecture about tea ceremony all over the nation. I had so much support and assistance. It has been more than 40 years. Because I had been working hard, I was granted the title of Honorary Master of Urasenke Sado in April 1989. May of the same year, I was presented the President's Award from JACCC [Japanese American Cultural & Community Center]. In 1990, I was presented the Fifth Order of Merit from Japan, then finally the National Heritage Fellowship award. Thus, I was recognized first by the Iemoto of Urasenke, then the Japanese-American community, the country of Japan, and then the United States.  As a Japanese American, I’m the happiest person. I wrote a “waka”, a Japanese poem, when I was conferred a decoration in 1990.

Please tell us little more about your husband, Eddie Matsumoto.

I already said that my husband was a second-generation Japanese-American engineer.  I was amazed by my husband.  He built tearooms.  It was almost 40 years ago, 2 or 3 years after the Iemoto came to the United States, and my husband bought a house. He built an 8 tatami mat tearoom in it.  He purchased the machines, designed the room, and did everything all by himself.  He studied a lot, and I gave him my opinions.  Although he has never been to Japan, he studied hard to learn from books and slides.  When the tearoom was built, my husband said, “Go look.”  I shed big drops of tears by being so deeply touched.  Until then, I had spread a thin mat on the floor and practiced tea ceremony.  I couldn’t stop crying.

People from Urasenke came to visit our home—Tantansai, Seikouin, the Iemoto’s wife and their second son, Nouya.  Mitsuhiko [the Iemoto’s brother], who has already passed away, had lived at our house and studied art a year after he graduated from college.  When my husband built the tearoom, Mr. Mitsuhiko gave us some advice.  Mr. Munetoshi Kawashima and Soukei Nagai also came to visit us.  Tantansai came in 1967 and named the 8 mat-sized tearoom “Shouwaken” (“Pine Harmony Room”) later, the Iemoto named a 4 and a half mat room “Shizuka-an” (“Peaceful Room”).  Although my husband passed away at the age of 62, he left me treasures that cannot be replaced by anything.