Tea bowl given to Judiciary History Center
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
To the Japanese, the tea ceremony is symbolic of peace, harmony and respect. Yesterday, two cultures blended these traits in a bowl of tea at a special ceremony at the Ali'iolani Hale.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
The event was held in the Hawai'i Supreme Court chambers, which was decorated to resemble a tea house. A special tea bowl that was used in a historic tea ceremony last year was presented to Chief Justice Ronald Moon and the Judiciary History Center.
Chief Justice Ronald Moon takes part in a tea ceremony at Ali'iolani Hale. "The tea spirit is the spirit of peace, hospitality, harmony, respect, appreciation," said former first lady Jean Ariyoshi, who attended yesterday's ceremony.
Chanter Anthony Lenchanko opened the ceremonies and was followed by the methodical tea-pouring ceremony performed by the University of Hawai'i Tea Club. Each member of the audience, which featured Hawaiian and Japanese dignitaries, sampled the tea.
The ceremony marked the ongoing relationship between Hawai'i and Grand Tea Master Sen Soshitsu. The 15th-generation master started the Urasenke School of Tea 50 years ago, and last year celebrated the 30th anniversary of Urasenke in Hawai'i with a special ceremony at 'Iolani Palace.
At that ceremony, Sen made two bowls of tea: one in honor of David Kalakaua and the other for King Kamehameha I. Kalakaua's bowl is in the 'Iolani Palace Museum; yesterday, Moon accepted the second golden bowl for the judiciary's museum.
Former first lady Jean Ariyoshi said the bowls were important because they were gifts from the people of Japan to the people of Hawai'i. Ariyoshi chaired the 2001 'Iolani Palace celebration, which was attended by more than 1,000 traditional Japanese tea ceremony practitioners from 32 countries.
"The tea spirit is the spirit of peace, hospitality, harmony, respect, appreciation," Ariyoshi said. "The Way of Tea teaches the beauty of the finest of human relations in the offering and acceptance of a bowl of tea."
