is the 15th-generation Grand Master (''

iemoto is a Japanese term used to refer to the founder or current Grand Master of a certain school of traditional Japanese art. It is used synonymously with the term when it refers to the family or house that the iemoto is head of and represents. Th ...

'') of

Urasenke is one of the main schools of Japanese tea ceremony. Along with and , it is one of the three lines of the family descending from , which together are known as the - or the "three houses/families" (). The name , literally meaning "rear hous ...

, which is one of the most widely known

schools of Japanese tea "Schools of Japanese tea" refers to the various lines or "streams" of Japanese tea ceremony. The word "schools" here is an English rendering of the Japanese term . There are three historical households () dedicated to developing and teaching the ...

, and served in official capacity from 1964 to 2002. In 1949, he received the

Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

title Hōunsai (鵬雲斎). Following his retirement, he has adopted the name Sen Genshitsu (玄室), with the honorary title Daisosho, in order to distinguish him from his son and successor, Sen Sōshitsu XVI. For over seven decades, Dr. Sen Genshitsu has traveled across the world in order to promote the ethos of "Peacefulness through a Bowl of Tea".

Early life

Sen Genshitsu was born in

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

on 19 April 1923, the first son of the 14th-generation Urasenke iemoto (Sen Sōshitsu XIV, Mugensai Sekiso Sōshitsu (Tantansai), 1893-1964) and his wife, Kayoko (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Ito Kayoko). Prior to his birth, Mugensai and Kayoko were already the parents of two daughters, Yaeko and Yoshiko. The birth of their first son, who would eventually become Mugensai's successor, occasioned much jubilation. Later, Mugensai and Kayoko begot two more sons, Yoshiharu and Mitsuhiko. At birth, he was given the name Masaoki (政興) by his grandfather, the 13th-generation Urasenke iemoto (Sen Sōshitsu XIII, Ennōsai Tetchu Sōshitsu, 1872-1924). During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Sen Masoaki served in the Japanese Navy airforce division, and was assigned to be a

kamikaze pilot , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...

, but in order to prevent an old dynasty from dying out, he was not allowed to participate. He later completed his education at

Doshisha University , mottoeng = Truth shall make you free , tagline = , established = Founded 1875,Chartered 1920 , vision = , type = Private , affiliation = , calendar = , endowment = €1 ...

, graduating from the Faculty of Economics. He took

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

vows under Goto Zuigan, the chief abbot of

Daitoku-ji is a Buddhist temple, one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen. It is located in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The "mountain name" ('' sangō'') by which it is known is . The Daitoku-ji temple complex today covers more ...

temple, and in 1949, received the title Hōunsai.

Career and honors

In 1950, confirmed as heir apparent, he began his many travels abroad to spread his ideas, starting in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, where he began his association with the

University of Hawaii A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

. In 1953, he became president of the non-profit Urasenke membership organization, Tankokai. Upon his father's death in 1964, he officially succeeded as the 15th generation Urasenke iemoto. In the following decades, he has made many contributions to the international academic study of the history and culture of tea, and was awarded a

Ph.D A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

from the

Nankai University Nankai University (NKU or Nankai; ) is a national public research university located in Tianjin, China. It is a prestigious Chinese state Class A Double First Class University approved by the central government of China, and a member of the fo ...

in 1991, along with a

Litt.D Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...

from

Chung-Ang University Chung-Ang University (CAU; ) is a private research university in Seoul, South Korea. It is widely regarded as one of the best universities in South Korea. The university operates two campuses: main campus located in Dongjak District, Seoul, and a ...

in 2008. Among positions outside of Urasenke, he currently heads the Consulate of Peru in Kyoto as

Honorary Consul A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

. He was Honorary Consul of Portugal in Kyoto from 1969 to 1982, and the Honorary Consul-General of Italy in Kyoto from 1982 to 1983. He served as

Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, prof ...

director from 1988 to 1990, and as a

Rotary Foundation The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely b ...

trustee from 1998 to 2002. He was appointed by Japan's

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

as Japan-U.N. Goodwill Ambassador in 2005, as well as Chairman of the Rotary Japan Foundation, President of the United Nations Association of Japan, President of the Kyoto City International Foundation, Director of the Kyoto Municipal General Center for Lifelong Learning, and President of the Japan Equestrian Federation. In March 2012, he was designated as

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador is an official postnominal honorific title, title of authority, legal status and job description assigned to those goodwill ambassadors and advocates who are designated by the United Nations. UNESCO goodwill ambassad ...

by the Director-General of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

. In April 2017, he was appointed as an Advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan. In 1997, he was awarded the

Order of Culture The is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature, science, technology, or anything related to culture in general; recipien ...

by the Emperor of Japan,

Akihito is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide. Bo ...

, the first in the

chado The Japanese tea ceremony (known as or ) is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of , powdered green tea, the procedure of which is called . While in the West it is known as "tea ceremony", it is sel ...

world to receive such an honor. In 2020, the French government awarded him with the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

, with the degree of

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

Personal life and retirement

His wife was Tomiko. In December 2002, his eldest son, Zabosai (born 7 June 1956), succeeded him as the 16th generation head of Urasenke, and inherited the name Sōshitsu. With that, Sen Sōshitsu XV discontinued his own use of the Sōshitsu name, taking on the name Sen Genshitsu, and the honorary title Daisosho, signifying his position as a former Grand Master.

References

External links

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Greetings from SEN Genshitsu (Soshitsu XV)
1923 births Living people People from Kyoto Japanese tea masters Doshisha University alumni Kamikaze pilots Recipients of the Order of Culture Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class Recipients of the Medal of Honor (Japan) Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus {{japan-bio-stub