The charity dinner was organized by Aid for Japan to raise funds to help orphans of the 2011 Tsunami. The event was held in June at the Ten no In temple in Tsurumi near Yokohama city.
The temple was founded in AD 858 by the Tendai Buddhist sect (this is the Japanese website: http://www.tsurumi-kubutsu.org/tennouin.html).
Guests at the dinner included members of Zonta International and The Rotary Club hailing from as far afield as the United States, England and Italy as well as local Japanese members and members of the Nara Zonta club. Star guest was a girl who is 17 years old, one of the orphans of the Tsunami.
After a tour around the temple grounds, the guests assembled to watch the temple’s head monk chant Buddhist sutras in front of the Butsudan in the beautiful main prayer room of the temple.
Everybody then moved on to the temple’s airconditioned dining room where a great spread of Japanese food (sushi, sashimi, steamed rice and vegetables, tempura battered fish amongst other items) lay in wait.
While the guests cooled down with glasses of beer, wine and sake, they were treated to a performance of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, curtesy of Ms Yukiko Murano and her assistant. Following this, Yukiko sensei was assisted by a model who demonstrated how to wear a kimono.
After a number of group photographs had captured the event, the satisfied guests returned to their Yokohama hotels.
The event raised £459 for Aid for Japan. Thank you to everybody who attended this dinner and especial thanks to Miss Sumika Hayakawa, Mr Ishiwata and Ms Murano for their kind help and support.
