Tea Ceremony for World Peace
In a special part of the program, Dr. Genshitsu Sen performed a Tea Ceremony Dedicated to World Peace. Dr. Sen is the 15th Grand Master of Urasenke, one of the leading tea ceremony schools in Japan. He has long been a global advocate of culture and peace, promoting his ideal of achieving “Peacefulness through a Bowl of Tea.” He has twice conducted tea ceremonies at the United Nations, and was designated as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
With meticulous care, Dr. Sen performed a ten-minute ceremony on stage in honor of the Fuji Declaration. The Japanese tea ceremony represents a blending of nature and art, with four guiding principles—harmony, respect, unity, and tranquility. Dr. Sen carried out the ceremony with precise, measured movements and a solemn expression, treating each object with great reverence—an expression of reverence for all life. When the tea was prepared, it was placed upon an altar on the stage, directly under the backdrop of the Fuji Declaration logo. Dr. Sen bowed deeply toward the altar, then completed the ceremony.