UAE President mourns death of Japan’s grand tea master Dr. Sen Genshitsu

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, mourned the passing away of Japanese Dr Sen Genshitsu, describing him as a symbol of intercultural understanding and a model of pride in heritage.

Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed said, “I extend my deepest condolences over the passing of Dr Sen Genshitsu, who served as a steadfast advocate of peace through education and cross-cultural dialogue. By sharing his message with others in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, Dr Sen remained an important voice in the pursuit of harmony among humankind. May he rest in peace.”

Dr Sen Genshitsu was born in Kyoto, Japan, in 1923. In 1941, he enrolled at Doshisha University, just as Japan was waging war against the United States. Two years later, he was among 100,000 students drafted to fight. During this time, Sen trained to become a kamikaze pilot, but the war ended before he could carry out his mission.

Sen’s connection to sado—the Japanese tea ceremony—began at the age of six, when he started taking lessons to become a master tea practitioner.

During the war, he carried tea equipment with him and served farewell tea to a group of his fellow trainees before their mission.

Peace Through a Cup of Tea

As a survivor of the kamikaze program—during which many of his fellow pilots embarked on one-way flights—Sen dedicated his life to opposing war and promoting “peace through a cup of tea.”

Sen once said, “Serving tea brings peace to everyone. If everyone feels peace, there will be no war.”

In 1964, he became the fifteenth Grand Master of the Urasenkei school of Japanese tea ceremony, one of three prestigious tea schools founded in the early 17th century.

A Global Anti-War Message

Over the course of his life, Sen performed the tea ceremony more than 300 times in 70 countries, promoting the art of sado and spreading his anti-war message worldwide.

He conducted tea ceremonies to pray for peace during key anniversaries marking the end of the war. In 2011, he offered tea at the USS Arizona Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii, in honor of the victims of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Spiritual Interaction Between People 

The history of sado dates back to ancient Japan and remains deeply embedded in its culture, passed down through generations as a heritage tradition that embodies tea hospitality, along with spiritual and aesthetic purity.

Sado is a form of spiritual interaction and exchange between people—between host and guests—where the senses are fully engaged in creating an occasion for aesthetic, intellectual, and physical enjoyment, as well as mental clarity. This shared experience fosters a sense of peace and goodwill, transforming the world around them into a place of true happiness.