Shuichi Thomas Kurai
Japanese monk
About Shuichi Thomas Kurai
Lived 1947 – 2018 (aged 70).
Shuichi Thomas Kurai (December 14, 1947—June 29, 2018) was a Japanese-born Soto Zen roshi and head abbot of Sozenji Buddhist Temple in Montebello, California. Raised in a Soto temple in Japan, he moved to California with his parents in 1952, where his father (Reverend Shuyu Kurai) served as priest at the Zenshuji Soto Mission in Little Tokyo. Kurai was a member of the American Zen Teachers Association.
In addition to his role as a Zen teacher, Kurai was a highly skilled musician who taught others to play taiko drums. He founded the Taiko Center of Los Angeles and led the performing group Satori Daiko.
Kurai died on June 29, 2018, at the age of 70 following a diagnosis of adult T-Cell leukemia.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Shuichi Thomas Kurai's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Shuichi Thomas Kurai?
Japanese monk
When was Shuichi Thomas Kurai born?
Shuichi Thomas Kurai was born on 14 December 1947 in Mie Prefecture.
When did Shuichi Thomas Kurai die?
Shuichi Thomas Kurai died on 29 June 2018 in Los Angeles.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Shuichi Thomas Kurai
· DBpedia: Shuichi Thomas Kurai
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Shuichi Thomas Kurai. https://biography.guide/shuichi-thomas-kurai/
MLA: "Shuichi Thomas Kurai." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/shuichi-thomas-kurai/.
Chicago: "Shuichi Thomas Kurai." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/shuichi-thomas-kurai/.
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