10th Anniversary of Master Koichi Tohei Sensei’s Passing
What is the season of June like in your country?
In Japan, it is season when it rains a lot. We call this time of year when it rains a lot “TSUYU” and we say “TSUYU is here again this year”. The “YU” in “TSUYU” is a Chinese character meaning “rain”.
Before I tell you about this rainy season in June, I would like to give you a late update on our dojo in May.
May is the month when the sun starts to shine as much as it does in July and August, and the amount of UV radiation is surprisingly high.
This is the time of year when the plants that sprouted in April come alive and dance in the sun!
This is the Azalea that brightens up Tenshinkan Dojo entrance and welcomes everyone who came to here.
There is also a flower called “Satsuki” which is so similar to the azalea that it is completely indistinguishable from it. “Satsuki” means “May” in the ancient Japanese calendar. I thought it would be interesting for those of you who are interested in Japan or who are learning Japanese, and while I was researching whether this flower is an Azalea or a Satsuki Azalea, I thought “I really wish this flower was a Satsuki Azalea”.
Such a month of May has an important date that is indispensable for us. It is the 19th of May, the anniversary of Master Koichi Tohei Sensei’s passing. Shinichi Tohei Sensei and his wife visited the grave paying tribute to Master Koichi Tohei sensei as this day marks a decade anniversary of his passing.
Before the spread of Covid-19, on the anniversary of Master Koichi Tohei Sensei’s passing, we would invite instructors from all over the world to a special teaching session with Shinichi Tohei Sensei on the weekend before or after 19th of May. Together with the participants, we visited Master Koichi Tohei Sensei’s grave and, in the evening, we had dinner.
We hope that one day we will be able to visit Master Koichi Tohei Sensei’s grave and mourn for him with you again, although we have not been able to do so for the last two years due to the Covid-19. And We hope your lives will soon return to normal.
[By: Moe Mimori] [Photo by: Chitose Mochizuki]