Overview

• Sen Genshitsu passed away on August 14, 2025, at age 102, as confirmed by NHK and the Yomiuri Shimbun.
• He led the Urasenke school of tea as its fifteenth grand master from 1964 until his 2002 retirement and was succeeded by his son.
• Trained as a World War II kamikaze pilot, he served tea to fellow trainees before ordaining as a Zen monk and dedicating his life to peace advocacy.
• Under his motto “peace through a bowl of tea,” he performed rituals for monarchs and presidents, including Queen Elizabeth II and Mikhail Gorbachev.
• His efforts earned him Japan’s Order of Culture in 1997, France’s Legion of Honor in 2020, and a role as UNESCO goodwill ambassador while holding over 100 cultural and advisory posts.