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UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Thursday, August 14 expressed his condolences over the passing of Dr Sen Genshitsu.

In his message on X, Sheikh Mohamed said that the tea master was a "steadfast advocate of peace through education and cross-cultural dialogue."

"By sharing his message with others in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, Dr Sen remained an important voice in the pursuit of harmony among humankind," said the President. "May he rest in peace".

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Grand tea master

Genshitsu passed away on August 14, 2025, at the age of 102.

He was a tea master in his youth trained as a kamikaze pilot, but the war ended before he needed to carry out the suicide mission.

He then travelled around the world, making cups of matcha for leaders and spreading his message of peace. Sen used ancient "Urasenke" tea tradition rituals to spotlight his anti-war messages, sharing his motto of "peacefulness through a bowl of tea".

"A bowl of tea makes spirits very peaceful. When everyone is peaceful, there will be no war," he is quoted as saying. 

He was an ordained Zen monk, and became the 15th-generation grand master of the Urasenke school in 1964 following the death of his father who had previously headed the tradition.

Even after he turned 102 in April, he held more than 100 cultural and government advisory positions and gave speeches, according to Japanese media reports.

History with Sheikh Mohamed

In 2008, Sen hosted a traditional tea ceremony in Abu Dhabi, and in the following year, he presented Ryoku-Sui-An, a Japanese tea house in the Capital, to Sheikh Mohamed, who was then the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

Photos: Urasenke Tankokai Abu Dhabi Association

According to the Urasenke Tankokai Abu Dhabi Association, the tea house was "built in the Emirates Palace as a symbol of friendship and goodwill." Sheikh Mohamed also picked up a brush and did calligraphy, writing the name of the tea house and signing in Arabic.

In photos taken at the time, the UAE President can be seen carefully making matcha and sharing the drink with Sen.

(With inputs from AFP)

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