April 23, 2004
Source: Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-et-rense23apr23,1,7410438.story?coll=la-home-style
On April 23, 2004 the Los Angeles Times reported, "Rev. Tom Kurai doesn't make a lot of noise about his work, but he makes a lot of noise in his work. The soft-spoken, genial abbot of the Sozenji Zen Buddhist Temple in Montebello ministers with a drum. He spreads the rhythmic word... Kurai is one of the premier virtuosos of the taiko — fat Japanese drums of various sizes struck with large, thick sticks — and master of traditional Japanese percussion in the United States. " Rev. Tom, as he's known, is also founder of the Taiko Center of Los Angeles, a school that to people of all ages.