On Sunday, March 21, 2021, the annual Rikyuki was conducted at Mme. Sosei Ogawa’s tearoom. We are so grateful to be able to have Rikyuki, even remotely, this year as we cancelled the one last year due to the surge of Covid-19. The host, Mrs. Sotaku Komiyama and the assistant, Mme. Sosei Ogawa gathered at the venue, and 54 other participants, including Mme. Soyu Koizumi and Mme. Sonan Watanabe from Urasenke Tankokai Orange County Association, and Mr. Kaoru Kawata from Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California joined via Zoom to commemorate Rikyu-koji.
Chief of Administration, Mme. Soshin Robinson announced the opening with a scroll of “Seijaku (Purity and Tranquility)” ,written by Tantansai sama, and we had a silent of moment for the great tea master, Rikyu-koji.
In hanayose, the head guest, Mme. Sokyo Kasai, and five instructors offered beautiful flowers at their houses and Mrs. Komiyama concluded at the venue. In kucha narrated by Chief of tea instructors, Mme. Soko Osumi, thin tea in a white tenmoku tea bowl was served at the alcove by Mme. Ogawa and everyone joined their hands in prayer.
After that, Mr. Kawata gave us a rakugo (Japanese storytelling) named “Hatena no Chawan.”
CoA Robinson expressed her gratitude and prayed for everybody’s safety as closing remarks.