On May 28, 2023, Koreisha Senior Care and Advocacy, held its 2^nd fundraising bazaar at Shumei Hall located in Pasadena, CA.   The Urasenke Tankokai Los Angeles Association participated in the event by conducting tea ceremony demonstrations at 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm.  The misonodana was set up outdoors and allowed guests to sit in chairs and enjoy the ceremony and Japanese narration by Sochi Ohshima.  Under the direction of the Chief of Administration, Soshin Abe, and the assistance of Soshin Robinson, the tea ceremony, and the serving of tea and sweets were offered to those in attendance.  The temae was by Soho Morikami, Soketsu Guterres and Soyu Kikkawa.

To set the mood, the shikishi of “Kissako” meaning to sit and have tea before leaving, was appropriate as guests had time to sit and relax as they strolled through the various booths set up.  Seasonal flowers including clematis and primrose were arranged to set the tone of spring ending and summer beginning.  The theme of gomei was “kunpu”, fragrant wind.  On that day a light breeze softly swayed the beautifully planted flowers on the grounds.  Tea utensils were selected to be distinctively seen in an outdoor setting.

Those in attendance were appreciative of our sharing of Japanese culture and asked if we would be able to join them again in the future.