About Us

Our History

The American School of Japanese Arts was founded in 1986 by Liz Kenner-Uribe. Her experience with Japanese arts at the Oomoto Foundation in Japan inspired her to share this profound experience with others here in the United States. After years of organizational work, she brought together master teachers in the all arts, and found a perfect place in California to host a seminar modeled after Oomoto in Japan.

The first Japanese Arts Seminar was held in 1987 at Green Gulch Zen Farm at Muir Beach, Northern California. New and improved versions of it continue to be offered each summer. This seminar continues to be the centerpiece of our activities - it is always a fresh and revealing experience. Since the Oomoto seminar was discontinued in 1995, the ASJA seminar has been the only place in the world where anyone, from any culture, can come and experience traditional Japanese arts in a unique, hands-on format.

In addition to the summer seminar, the school offers one-day and weekend workshops in the arts, art studies in Japan, demonstrations, performances, and serves as a resource for Japanese Arts in the community. It also participates in festivals and special events, some of its own creation, around the country.

All the master teachers who started with us in the beginning continue to reserve one week out of their busy schedules to return to us each summer. Complementing the eight day retreat, our art-tours to study at the Oomoto Foundation in Japan are well attended, and result in life-changing experiences for many participants.

Our sights are always grounded in the moment, but with a vision of reaching more people with our programs - please join us and we will grow together.

For information about our master teachers,

please click on their photograph.

Haruyoshi F. Ito

Kazuaki Tanahashi

Christy Bartlett

Yuriko Doi