University of Hawaiʻi Center for Japanese Studies & Tea Club Honored by Japanese Consulate

The Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu today presented the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) and its Way of Tea Club with the Commendation of the Consul General, recognizing their significant contributions to Japan-Hawaiʻi relations and cultural exchange.

Established in 1986, the CJS has become a leading institution for Japanese studies, evolving from over a century of language and cultural instruction at the university. The Center currently boasts 29 full-time faculty and 11 language instructors, offering more than 100 courses annually across disciplines like sociology, law, theatre, and history. “We study and teach about Japan in order to prepare the next generation for their futures spending time in Japan, working with Japan, helping us understand Japan, and for that, especially drawing upon UH’s remarkable strength in language and cultural instruction,” said Mark Levin, director of CJS and a professor at UH’s Richardson Law School. This recognition underscores Hawaiʻi’s unique position as a cultural bridge between the United States and Japan.

The commendation also acknowledged the Way of Tea Club’s dedication to preserving the Urasenke Chadō tradition – the art of preparing and serving Japanese tea – and its associated values of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. The ceremony included tributes to the late Daisōshō Genshitsu Sen, the 15th-generation Grand Master of Urasenke, whose influence was pivotal to both organizations. For more information on the Urasenke tradition, visit the Urasenke Headquarters website.

Akiko Ono, a UH Mānoa lecturer and Way of Tea instructor, accepted the commendation on behalf of the club, continuing a legacy of sharing the spirit of Chadō with students. Former CJS directors Patricia Steinhoff, Robert Huey, Mary McDonald, and associate director Gay Satsuma also attended the ceremony. The University of Hawaiʻi’s Center for Japanese Studies offers a wide range of resources for students and researchers interested in Japan.

Consul General Yoshinori Kodama expressed his praise for the Center and the club’s ongoing commitment to strengthening ties between Japan and Hawaiʻi, noting the importance of continued cultural understanding.