The University of Hawaiʻi is remembering Daisōshō Genshitsu Sen, a 15th-generation tea master, who shared bowls of tea with presidents, royalty, and everyday people, always as an offering of peace. His connection to UH Mānoa stretched across more than seven decades, shaping a legacy of culture and learning. Sen, a global ambassador of the Way of Tea, died in Kyoto, Japan, on August 14. He was 102.
Sen served as grand master with the name Sen Sōshitsu XV prior to his retirement, leading the Urasenke tradition of tea. He first studied at UH Mānoa in the early 1950s and began offering evening classes in Japanese tea ceremony, known as chadō or the “Way of Tea” on the campus and in the community. His lessons fostered a lasting legacy. For more than half a century, UH Mānoa students have studied the Way of Tea inside Jakuʻan, a traditional tea house which Sen donated in 1972 located behind the East-West Center and helped to restore in 2014.
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“Dr. Sen was one of those people you are fortunate to encounter even once in your lifetime,” said David Lassner, UH President Emeritus. “His graciousness, joie de vivre and humility belied an incredible strength of belief and character. At 100 he still spoke with the vitality and passion of someone decades younger.”
Building bridges
Returning regularly to Hawaiʻi, Sen’s gifts to UH extended far beyond Jakuʻan. He established the Sen Sōshitsu XV Distinguished Chair in History and the Sen International Way of Tea Center within the Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) at UH Mānoa.
Through his Midorikai scholarship, Sen sent generations of UH Mānoa students to Kyoto to study tea at Urasenke headquarters.
“He had the ability to walk in a room and his presence would immediately grab the eyes of every individual there…somehow I feel that all of his innumerable accolades can’t possibly define quite how great he was. There are many people around the world that call for world peace, but there are not many people that actually take the necessary actions to reach it,” said Justin Peterson, a UH Mānoa alumnus who extensively studied Sen’s tea teachings and is now carrying them forward in Kyoto on a Midorikai scholarship.
Legacy of learning
Grounded in Sen’s vision, the Way of Tea Center at UH Mānoa helps CJS foster greater understanding of Japan in a global context and supports UH students’ first lessons in tea practice through the Way of Tea Practicum, (ASAN 324), offered in the fall and spring semesters through the Department of Asian Studies in multiple sections.
“We have been so fortunate for our connection with Dr. Sen carried through decades since his first visit to Hawaiʻi in 1951. It was with good reason that my predecessor, CJS Director Mary McDonald nominated Dr. Sen for the Nobel Peace Prize in light of his remarkable engagement in trying to bring ‘peacefulness through a bowl of tea’ even in strife torn locations, meetings with global political leaders and other great spiritual leaders. The chance that I had to spend time with Dr. Sen will certainly stand among the richest rewards of my time in this role,” said Mark Levin, a law professor at UH Mānoa and director of CJS.
Turning point
Sen’s life was shaped by extraordinary experiences. During World War II, he trained in the Japanese Navy’s kamikaze corps but was pulled back before flying a mission. Instead, he served tea to his fellow pilots before they departed. That moment, he later said, cemented his lifelong mission of seeking peace through tea.
“He was a man of principle, empathy, and kindness whose ethical compass served to better an often troubled world. Dr. Sen no gomeifuku wo kokoro yori oinori itashimasu,” said Peter Arnade, dean of the College of Arts, Languages and Letters.
Marking milestones
In 2023, the Hawaiʻi State Legislature honored Sen’s 100th birthday, the 50th anniversary of Jakuʻan, and the work of the Way of Tea Center. He was praised for bringing peacefulness through tea to people across the world.
For more on Sen’s legacy at UH Mānoa go to the Way of Tea page.
