Tribute to Tomoe Katagiri
Mrs. Katagiri with Yuko and Shohaku Okumura in 2019
Yuko Okumura
June 14, 2026 at Sanshin Zen Community
The sangha held a brief memorial service for Tomoe Katagiri, who passed on on 30 May, 2026 in Minneapolis.
Before the memorial service I’d like to say few words about Tomoe Katagiri. She was one of my sewing teachers. I met her in the summer of 1982 at Minnesota Zen Center and made this rakusu with her. It’s been 44 years.
Visiting MZMC led me to meet my husband later at the end of that year, so in my mind there’s a thread of dharma connection, which looks like clear cause and result, so, to me, it’s not a far-fetched idea that if I hadn’t met Tomoe-san, we would not be here today like this, gathering together at Sanshin where we sew and wear nyoho-e okesa and rakusu, and practice.
Tomoe Katagiri was born in February 16, 1932, and passed away last month. She was 94 years old. She came to the US in 1965 with her 4 year old son. Her husband Dainin Katagiri roshi was already in San Francisco as an assistant to Shunryu Suzuki roshi. In 1970 Eshun Yoshida roshi was invited to SFZC to teach nyoho-e okesa sewing. Tomoe-san, Blanche Hartman and many other students received the sewing instructions from her. Later Tomoe-san went back to Japan and studied the okesa sewing with Yoshida roshi at Kaizenji and received lay okesa. In 1972 Tomoe-san moved to Minneapolis, MN with Katagiri roshi and two sons, Yasuhiko and Ejo, when Katagiri roshi established Minnesota Zen Center. Since then she taught nyoho-e sewing for more than 50 years.
I met Tomoe-san in 1982 when I visited MZMC and stayed there for 2 months as a student. I had previous experience with nyoho-e kyakushi stitch, or namukiebutsu stitch, but never made rakusu before so I asked her to teach me how to make one. That was the beginning of my nyoho-e sewing practice. As I said, this visit to MZMC led me to meet my husband later in Japan. We married in 1983 and I studied okesa sewing at Antaiji. Then Katagiri roshi passed away in 1990. My husband was asked to be an interim head teacher at MZMC so we moved to Minnesota from Japan in 1993. In 1982 I had no idea that I would come back to Minnesota after 11 years with my husband and two kids, but I did, and the rest of the story led us here.
I always say my okesa sewing is a hybrid of Kaizenji style ( which is Tomoe Katagiri style) and Antaiji style, but Tomoe-san was always my role model and her teachings and dedication to the nyoho-e practice was my foundation. I would like to write more about my memories of Tomoe-san and her teaching, but for now I’ll stop here. Thank you very much.
Nine bows with deep gratitude.
June 14, 2026 at Sanshin Zen Community
The sangha held a brief memorial service for Tomoe Katagiri, who passed on on 30 May, 2026 in Minneapolis.
Before the memorial service I’d like to say few words about Tomoe Katagiri. She was one of my sewing teachers. I met her in the summer of 1982 at Minnesota Zen Center and made this rakusu with her. It’s been 44 years.
Visiting MZMC led me to meet my husband later at the end of that year, so in my mind there’s a thread of dharma connection, which looks like clear cause and result, so, to me, it’s not a far-fetched idea that if I hadn’t met Tomoe-san, we would not be here today like this, gathering together at Sanshin where we sew and wear nyoho-e okesa and rakusu, and practice.
Tomoe Katagiri was born in February 16, 1932, and passed away last month. She was 94 years old. She came to the US in 1965 with her 4 year old son. Her husband Dainin Katagiri roshi was already in San Francisco as an assistant to Shunryu Suzuki roshi. In 1970 Eshun Yoshida roshi was invited to SFZC to teach nyoho-e okesa sewing. Tomoe-san, Blanche Hartman and many other students received the sewing instructions from her. Later Tomoe-san went back to Japan and studied the okesa sewing with Yoshida roshi at Kaizenji and received lay okesa. In 1972 Tomoe-san moved to Minneapolis, MN with Katagiri roshi and two sons, Yasuhiko and Ejo, when Katagiri roshi established Minnesota Zen Center. Since then she taught nyoho-e sewing for more than 50 years.
I met Tomoe-san in 1982 when I visited MZMC and stayed there for 2 months as a student. I had previous experience with nyoho-e kyakushi stitch, or namukiebutsu stitch, but never made rakusu before so I asked her to teach me how to make one. That was the beginning of my nyoho-e sewing practice. As I said, this visit to MZMC led me to meet my husband later in Japan. We married in 1983 and I studied okesa sewing at Antaiji. Then Katagiri roshi passed away in 1990. My husband was asked to be an interim head teacher at MZMC so we moved to Minnesota from Japan in 1993. In 1982 I had no idea that I would come back to Minnesota after 11 years with my husband and two kids, but I did, and the rest of the story led us here.
I always say my okesa sewing is a hybrid of Kaizenji style ( which is Tomoe Katagiri style) and Antaiji style, but Tomoe-san was always my role model and her teachings and dedication to the nyoho-e practice was my foundation. I would like to write more about my memories of Tomoe-san and her teaching, but for now I’ll stop here. Thank you very much.
Nine bows with deep gratitude.
