After more than fifty years of teaching in Europe, and more than thirty years of residential seminars, Nojiri Sensei retired to Japan in the spring of 2024, at the age of 88.
The Tankokai of Belgium is infinitely indebted to her. Indeed, it was she who trained the first tea practitioners in Belgium, and then supported them in the founding of the Belgian Dokokai in 1976 and its subsequent development, which then became the Belgian Tankokai Association of Chado Urasenke.

As she begins this new phase of her life in Japan, we send her our warmest wishes for her continued happiness and fulfillment. May the echoes of chado accompany her every step of the way, just as she brought these profound experiences into our lives.

Nojiri Sensei's unwavering dedication to chado has been an inspiration to every member of the Tankokai. Her teaching not only gave us the technical knowledge and intricacies of the tea ceremony, but also fueled in each of us a deeper understanding of the importance of breathing and meditation, as well as of the Zen and cultural context which are the foundations of this centuries-old tradition.

The tea room, under the leadership of Nojiri Sensei, has become a sacred space where we learn not only the meticulousness of the temaes but also the values of mindfulness, respect and harmony. Her patient teaching, passionately centered on openness to oneself, to others and to nature, leaves an indelible mark in the hearts and minds of each of her students.

The Belgian Tankokai Association of Chado Urasenke is proud to have financed the filming of a documentary on the teaching of Nojiri sensei during the thirtieth residential seminar at the Hurtebise monastery, in Saint-Hubert, in June 2023. This documentary was produced by Anneleen Hermans, with the gracious cooperation of the sisters of the Benedictine community of Hurtebise. You can watch this documentary here.

With respect and gratitude, The committee and instructors of the Belgian Tankokai Association of Chado Urasenke.

Nojiri sensei with the Belgian Chadō Urasenke instructors

Michiko Sōmei (宗命) Nojiri sensei (left) with the Belgian Chadō Urasenke instructors, from left to right: Chantal Sōgyoku (宗玉) Verdoodt,
Staf Sōhō (宗峰) Daems, Eric Sōyū (宗勇) Franchimont, Thierry Sōwa (宗輪) Geerinckx, et Michel Sōgi (宗義) Decré.

Michel Decré
Thu 7 Mar 23:49:33 CET 2024