Member Highlight: Kathleen M. Fink

Two students practicing tea ceremony in Kathleen's backyard tea hut

How long have you been a member of the Japan Society of Boston?

I became a member of the Japan Society of Boston in the mid-1990s and took advantage of the opportunity to join the wonderful 1997 trip, “Japan: Arts and Gardens; A study Tour in Kyoto and Tokyo,” sponsored by the Japan Society of Boston and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. There were so many amazing aspects of that trip including our happening upon a wonderful festival that was not part of the itinerary.

I attended specific JSB events but let my formal membership lapse when I began to take classes at night while continuing to work long hours. I rejoined JSB a few years ago now that I am happily retired and working on a video project to share my conviction that Japanese tea ceremony is a time capsule of badly needed wisdom for our own times. As part of this project, a short documentary (radiantrefuge.blog/2025/04/20/living-tea-values/) explores, "What might it be like to actually live by Japanese tea ceremony's core values?" with an example of an artist and conservationist as she creates a "scroll-like" weaving for my tea hut.

What drew you to JSB?

It seems like I have always been drawn to Japanese culture. When I visited Japan, certain places felt like my spiritual home. A longtime Japanese friend and fellow tea ceremony student once told me that in a former life I must have been Japanese. I feel very lucky to live near Boston with its sister city relationship with Kyoto, and to have easy access to the many and varied high quality JSB offerings.

Festival during Kathleen's 1997 trip with JSB, “Japan: Arts and Gardens; A study Tour in Kyoto and Tokyo”

How would you describe yourself and what you're passionate about?

I started writing articles about my love for Japanese gardens and Japanese tea ceremony for Sukiya Living, The Journal of Japanese Gardening. Now I write about these and other resources for wellbeing in my blog: radiantrefuge.blog

After taking Japanese tea ceremony lessons for a while, I longed for an uncluttered place of my own to practice, and decided to install a tea hut in a shady corner of my yard where moss already liked to grow. That seemed like such a crazy idea, I knew I should take it seriously. (More details about the finished tea hut can be found on the blog: radiantrefuge.blog/2018/07/07/an-invitation-to-tea) Many different people have shared tea with me in my modified garden shed tea hut over the years. They always seem to sense the warm welcome that I fully intend. In the first photo, taken quite a while ago, two fellow tea students are practicing in my hut.

It was only looking back that I began to appreciate how many valuable lessons tending my tea garden and having the way of tea as an intimate part of my life had taught me. More recently, as a graduate student in mindfulness studies, I pursued my dream to find an accessible way for more people to experience their own profound benefits like those that had meant so much in my own life. The result was a new tea and dialogue mindfulness practice which combines easily-learned elements of Japanese tea ceremony with mindful structured dialogue where participants take turns listening and sharing on a topic capable of imparting wisdom.

Creating videos seemed a good medium to convey the quality of the practice’s warm connection that I believe shows promise as a means to help combat the serious negative health impacts of loneliness: (radiantrefuge.blog/2020/05/01/reflections-on-a-tea-and-dialogue-thesis). My present video project is designed to share my appreciation for the Japanese tea ceremony’s universal principles or values - Harmony, Respect, Purity and Tranquility. In these challenging times, we can use all the help we can get to bring more moments of centering peace and clarity right into the midst of our messy stressful lives.

Kathleen's tea hut and garden

Do you have a favorite event or program that you have participated in with JSB?

In addition to a number of tea ceremony demonstrations, and Peter Grilli’s wonderful “Dream Window: Reflections on Japanese Gardens” film project, I would have to say that the 1997 trip to Japan is still my favorite - there were so many magical moments.

What about JSB sets it apart from other groups within the Boston area?

JSB provides direct and immediate access to so much that is valuable and it does so with such a warm and welcoming heart. The history is very rich, and so are the future possibilities. The depth and diversity of what is offered is just outstanding and the sense of friendship across cultures is very real.

What would you say to somebody who is considering joining JSB?

By all means become a member and experience for yourself what the JSB has to offer. Don’t be afraid to attend something you might not normally consider, as there can be many happy surprises in store. I was very glad I just went for it and decided to travel to Japan with this group and the MFA. This is a great way to expand your horizons and make new friends.

Thank you, Kathleen, for sharing your Japan journey!

Interested in becoming a JSB Member? Click here or reach out to info@japansocietyboston.org for more details.