MONTEBELLO — A loving tribute to Rev Shuichi Thomas Kurai (Dec. 24, 1947-June 29, 2018) will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. at Sozenji Buddhist Temple, 3020 W. Beverly Blvd. in Montebello.
A special memorial service will be officiated by Rev. Eigen Otogawa, director of Daihonzan Sojiji in Japan and a long-time supporter of Kurai and Sozenji. The public is welcome to attend.
Kurai served as head minister at Sozenji, which was founded by his father, from 1996 until his passing. He began teaching taiko at Sozenji in 1978 and later established the Taiko Center of Los Angeles. He was a pioneer in popularizing taiko not only in the U.S. but also in Italy, where he was a sensei at Fudenji Buddhist Monastery.
He is survived by his son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and two sisters.