Shozo Sato was awarded the Order of Sacred Treasure from the Emperor of Japan for his contributions in teaching Japanese traditions. His areas of expertise include ikebana (flower arranging), chanoyu (tea ceremony), and Japanese theater, as well as sumi-e (ink painting). He is the author of numerous books including "Tea Ceremony, Ikebana", and "The Art of Sumi-e". He was the founding director of Japan House at the University of Illinois, where he is Professor Emeritus and continues to teach Japanese arts. He devides his time between Fort Bragg, California and Champaign, IL.
Kimie Tada" graduated from Rikkyo University (Tokyo) with a degree in English Literature. She was editor-in-chief of Confort, a Japanese interior design magazine, and now runs an editorial company she established in 2000.