The Chozenkai series organized by the Brown and Harvard Clubs is a great opportunity to experience the Zen meditation experience at one of Japan’s most storied Zen temples.

The afternoon begins with an explanation of sitting technique, followed by three meditation sessions of approximately ten minutes each. The meditation will be followed by a Q&A conducted in English and Japanese with interpretation. Participants are welcome to tour Engakuji before and after the session.

Date & Time: Sunday, December 18, 13:00 at Engakuji Kojirin (Meet at 12:30 at Kita-Kamakura station to walk there).

The sessions will end by 15:00 and participants who leave then should make it back to Tokyo station by about 16:30.
Admission: 1500 Yen

After the event, all participants are welcome to have tea and chat with the abbot of Ryuu-in-an, a major sub-temple of Engakuji.

*In addition to the admission fee, the Clubs welcome donations to support the ongoing Tohoku relief efforts of Hands On Tokyo and Grace City Church Tokyo.

Please RSVP to jonathan@jonathanharlow.com
Space is limited, so please indicate your interest ASAP.

What a traumatic and difficult year it’s been!  What with the earthquake, tsunami, and electricity rationing - now we would all just like to get together with friends – old and new - and reflect on our experiences as well as look forward to a new year.

Please join us in a private room at the French brasserie Va Tout in Roppongi for the BUCJ Bonenkai dinner party.  Every year we have a great turnout, makiing this one of our most enjoyable events.  Don’t miss this chance to raise a glass in cheer with your fellow Brunonians!  

The cost per person is as follows:
-3,000 yen for students  and 2011 Brown graduates 
-6,000 yen for everyone else

Please RSVP by November 25  to,
mailto:bonenkai2011@bucj.org

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you there.

Aiko Wakao ’04, Secretary
Kevin Sholes ’91, Treasurer
Brown University Club of Japan
www.bucj.org

Ian Chun ’01 sends the following.

Tea farmers to discuss their experience with radiation contamination and hold tea tasting from non-affected Japanese regions and Taiwan.

Yasai Kichi is a new restaurant café dedicated to sourcing and serving high quality, healthy, organic vegetable products from farmers throughout Japan. View Google map here.

Event Summary

The International Tea Farms Alliance (ITFA) is hosting a tea tasting and lecture on Sept. 10, 2011 (Saturday), where founder Matsumoto Yasuharu will be speaking about the establishment and debut of this new non-profit organization amid the global focus on radiation contamination of tea leaves in Japan after the Tohoku Earthquake. Tea farmers from Minami Ashigara, one of the first regions discovered to have radiation contamination above government standards, will also be present to discuss their experience.The ITFA will also be serving tea from tea farms of various regions in Kyoto, Shizuoka, and Fukuoka as well as Taiwan via their Japan distributor.

The ITFA is a new Japan-based non-profit organization of tea farmers from around the world that seeks to bridge the distance between producers and consumers. It participated in North America’s largest tea trade show, World Tea Expo (June 24 – 26), where founder Matsumoto Yasuharu was a panelist discussing issues related to the radiation contamination crisis with some 200 tea industry professionals in attendance.

For more information, view the PDF.

Continuing this popular series as we head into Fall! Join the Harvard and Brown Clubs for another opportunity to see and experience one of Japan's most storied Zen temples as an insider.

Both the instruction and Q&A will be in English and Japanese with interpretation.
Please bring comfortable loose clothing appropriate for outside temperatures. (Think yoga but a bit warmer).

There will be spaces for men and women to change. Please dress in layers if possible.
The length of the meditation is tentatively set for three sessions of ten minutes.
Participants are welcome to tour Engakuji before and after the session.

Date & Time:	Sunday, September 18, 13:00 at Engakuji Kojirin (Meet at 12:30 at Kita-Kamakura station to walk there). The sessions will end by 15:00 and participants who leave then should make it back to Tokyo station by about 16:30.
Price:	1500 Yen *In addition to the admission fee, the Clubs welcome donations to support the ongoing Tohoku relief efforts of Hands On Tokyo and Grace City Church Tokyo.
Place:	Engaku-ji Temple (meet at Kita-Kamakura Station, JR Yokosuka line) [MAP]
Registration:	Please RSVP to jonathan@jonathanharlow.com Limited space is available, so please indicate your interest ASAP.