The Japanese Obaku Sect Hosts National Sencha Ceremony to Commemorate Founder Master Ingen

On May 21, the 65th All-Japan Sencha Ceremony and the 36th Japanese Sencha Craft Exhibition were held at Manpukuji Temple, the head temple of the Japanese Obaku Sect, in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture. The event commemorated Master Ingen’s historic contributions to cultural exchanges in tea ceremony traditions between China and Japan. Attendees included Uji City Mayor Junko Matsumura, Lin Wenqing, President of the Fuqing Huangbo Cultural Promotion Association, Chen Xi, Chairman of the Japanese Huangbo Cultural Promotion Association, Ryūji Watanabe, President of the Fuqing Chamber of Commerce in Japan, and other representatives from China and Japan。

Due to the impact of the pandemic, the 64th All-Japan Sencha Ceremony, held in May 2019, was postponed repeatedly and has only now resumed。

Master Ingen revived Zen Buddhism in Japan and is revered as the founder of the Japanese Obaku Sect. He is also regarded as the founder of Japanese Sencha (steeped green tea) traditions. Ingen introduced tea-drinking methods from his hometown in Fujian Province's Fuqing area during the Ming Dynasty, which ultimately evolved into the Sencha Ceremony by the late Edo period.As a result, when the All-Japan Sencha Alliance was established in 1956, it recognized Master Ingen as its founder. Appropriately, the alliance headquarters was located within Manpukuji Temple on Obakusan in Uji, Kyoto, the head temple of the Japanese Obaku Sect, which Master Ingen founded.Today, the alliance holds the grand All-Japan Sencha Ceremony annually on the third weekend of May at Obakusan in Kyoto。

On the same day, a ceremony was held at Manpukuji Temple on Obakusan in Japan to celebrate the completion of the Dharma Hall. Chief Abbot Hirodo Kondo of the Japanese Obaku Sect specifically expressed his thanks to the Sino-Japanese Huangbo Cultural Promotion Association and other general supporters for their significant assistance。

During the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, Master Ingen, a renowned Chinese monk and abbot of Manpukuji Temple on Huangbo Mountain in Fuqing, was invited to lead his disciples to Japan. There, he not only promoted the Huangbo Chan (Zen) tradition but also disseminated Chinese culture across various fields, including philosophy, architecture, sculpture, medicine, painting, calligraphy, music, poetry, and cuisine. Known in Japan as Huangbo Culture, it had a significant impact on the economic and social development of the Edo period。

This year marks the 350th anniversary of Master Ingen’s passing. On February 25, the Japanese Imperial Household posthumously conferred upon him the title “Gento Daishi” (Grand Master of Strict Unity), the seventh honorary title bestowed by the Japanese Imperial Family. This reflects Master Ingen's historic contributions to cultural exchanges between the two nations。

Overseas Chinese living in Japan, including Chen Yaping, Tadao Sasaki, Keiko Soma, Wang Yiqi, Yan Zi Mori, Weng Chenglong, Zheng Rongting, and Kyoko Ioka, attended the event that day。