Mrs. Yoko Mossner, Executive Director of the Japanese Cultural Center of Saginaw invited Nidai Soke Okuyama to attend a private Tea Ceremony at the tea house, the focal point of the gardens there. Its gate opened in 1971 as designed by Mr. Yataro Suzue and Lori Barber.

Suzue-sensei stated then: “beauty is not trickery, not illusion…but arranging elements like trees, water and rocks in a way that there is no crowding, no competition for attention.”

The ceremony on 13 August 2014 was attended by Kaiden-Kichu Joseph Miller, Kaiden-Kichu Devon Smith and Kaiden-Kichu Joseph Stricker. Yoko-sensei (who also attended the Hakkoryu Taikai dinner with her husband) and Soke-sensei both reaffirmed their wish for continued good relations between the cities of Omiya, Japan and Saginaw, Michigan, USA.

As before, many thanks to Ms. Shannon Medel of the Japanese Cultural Society for helping in the planning for this lovely, quiet and meaningful afternoon.