Press Releases
Extension of Dr. Sen Genshitsu’s Term of Appointment as Japan-UN Goodwill Ambassador and Appointment as Special Assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs
1. On April 3, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs, presented Dr. Sen Genshitsu, Daisosho (former Urasenke Grand Master) of the Japanese tea ceremony (chado), with a letter of appointment as the Japan-United Nations (UN) Goodwill Ambassador (extending Dr. Sen’s term of appointment until the end of March 2020), and a letter of appointment as Special Assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs (until the end of March 2018) for introducing Japanese culture and promoting cultural exchanges with various countries through tea ceremony.
2. Minister Kishida conveyed his sincere gratitude to Dr. Sen for his significant contributions as the Japan-UN Goodwill Ambassador and Goodwill Ambassador to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as well as President of the UN Association of Japan. Minister Kishida also expressed his appreciation for his various activities such as cultural exchanges through tea ceremony and for the cooperation extended by Dr. Sen to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Japan’s accession to the UN in December last year.
3. In response, Dr. Sen explained that as the Japan-UN Goodwill Ambassador and as Special Assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, he intends to continue to engage in promoting understanding of the UN and conveying Japanese culture.
(Note)
Dr. Sen is the former 15th Grand Master of the Urasenke tea ceremony school. He has also experienced war, having been attached to a kamikaze unit in World War II, and since the war he has practiced tea ceremony to promote the preciousness of peace throughout the world. Furthermore, Dr. Sen has also supported the activities of the UN and Japan’s initiatives through the UN, including by serving as President of the UN Association of Japan since 2002, Japan-UN Goodwill Ambassador since 2005, and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador since 2012.