Omotesenke Domonkai 50th Anniversary Events

On Friday, June 14, Consul General Osumi, in partnership with Omotesenke Domonkai Northern California Region, co-hosted a special tea gathering at the Consul General’s residence in celebration of Omotesenke Domonkai Northern California Region’s 50th anniversary. Mr. Sen Sosa, the 15th-generation Iemoto, or Grand Master of the Omotesenke school of tea, and descendent of Sen no Rikyu, a historical figure who had a profound influence on the Japanese “Way of Tea”, attended the tea gathering. He, along with over 200 Omotesenke Domonkai members from Japan, visited San Francisco to celebrate the 50th Anniversary.
 
In his remarks, Consul General Osumi congratulated Omotesenke Domonkai and mentioned the virtues of the Japanese Way of Tea in bringing people together, as well as its ability to convey deeper understanding and appreciation of Japanese culture and society.
 
Consul General Osumi prepared tea for the Iemoto and Larry Greenwood, Board Chair of the Japan Society of Northern California. For many of the guests, it was their first time taking part in a Japanese tea ceremony and among them were Japanese language learners from Lynbrook High School and Henry Gunn High School who placed in the top four in the 2024 Japan Bowl in Washington D.C., a national competition of Japanese language and culture.
 
On Saturday, June 15, Consul General and Mrs. Osumi attended a public kencha tea gathering hosted by Omotesenke Domonkai at Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. The kencha is a dedicatory tea offering and on this occasion, Iemoto Sen Sosa prepared the tea to pray for world peace in light of the current state of world affairs. To celebrate this event, Mayor London Breed issued an official proclamation, commemorating June 15, 2024 as “Omotesenke Domonkai Northern California Region Day”.