Eighty-two members of the Urasenke Tankokai Los Angeles Association assemble to honor the late Grand Master Hounsai Sosho of Urasenke School at the Sanctuary Hall of Zenshuji Soto Mission on October 12, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Urasenke Tankokai Los Angeles Association)
Uploaded by Shige Higashi on December 28, 2025 at 4:40PM
On a clear and gentle autumn afternoon in Southern California, the quiet grounds of Zenshūji Soto Mission in Little Tokyo filled with reverence. On October 12, 2025, members of the Urasenke Tankokai Los Angeles Association (UTLAA) gathered to honor the life and legacy of Hounsai Hansō Sōshitsu Kōji, the 15th Grand Master of the Urasenke school of tea, who passed away on August 14, 2025 at the age of 102.
Eighty-two members assembled beneath the mild October sun, united by gratitude and remembrance. At precisely 1:00 p.m., the resonant toll of temple bells marked the beginning of the memorial service, setting a contemplative tone that would carry through the afternoon.
Facing a portrait of Hounsai Sōshō, Rev. Shumyō Kojima of Zenshuji Temple led the service with solemn prayers. A tea offering followed, performed by Mme. Uyesugi and assisted by Mme. Robinson, embodying the quiet dignity and mindfulness that define the Way of Tea. Members then participated in hanayose, placing flowers one by one into multiple vases—an offering of beauty shaped by collective intention.
Rev. Kojima guided the congregation in the recitation of the Heart Sutra (Hannya Shingyō), after which each attendee stepped forward to offer incense. The simple gestures, repeated quietly, expressed a shared sense of loss, respect, and continuity.
Opening remarks were delivered by the UTLAA Co-Administrator Ann Abe, who reflected on her most recent meeting with Hounsai Sōshō during a visit to Kyoto. The UTLAA President Robert Hori followed with a eulogy that traced the arc of the Grand Master’s life: from the devastation of war to his unwavering commitment to peace. He spoke of Hounsai Sōshō’s tireless efforts to spread chanoyu across borders, guided by the belief that a single bowl of tea could foster understanding among peoples.
Closing remarks returned to Ann Abe, who invited the congregation to continue the memorial through tea and sweets in the temple’s social hall. There, remembrance gave way to quiet conversation and shared reflection.
The tea gathering itself was a collaborative offering. Members contributed utensils chosen to reflect Hounsai Hansō Sōshitsu Kōji’s global vision of Chadō. The teishu was Mr. Cirilo Domine, assisted by hantō Ms. Rebecca Corbett. Sweets specially prepared by Mme. Kodama were named Omokage—“remembrance”—a fitting tribute in form and name.
For the UTLAA, the October memorial was more than a ceremony. It reaffirmed a shared appreciation for the life’s work of a man who transformed personal hardship into a universal message of peace through tea.
Later that autumn, a delegation from the UTLAA traveled to Kyoto to participate in the Farewell Assembly (owakare-no-kai) held on November 27 at the Kyoto International Conference Center.
The gathering drew approximately 4,200 attendees, including Princess Akiko of Mikasa, leaders of other tea schools, and practitioners from around the world—testament to the profound reach of Dr. Genshitsu Sen’s influence.
Born in 1923, Hounsai Hansō Sōshitsu Kōji devoted his life to the preservation and international dissemination of chanoyu. In 1951, he helped establish the first overseas Urasenke branch in Hawaii, laying the groundwork for a global tea community. Throughout his career, he championed the philosophy of “Peacefulness Through a Bowl of Tea,” believing that quiet hospitality could bridge cultures and heal divisions.
In Los Angeles, as in Kyoto, that philosophy was felt not as an abstract ideal, but as a lived practice—shared in silence, ritual, and a single bowl of tea.
