Soyen Shaku

Soyen Shaku (1860–1919) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist monk and the first Zen master to teach in the United States. He was abbot of the Kenchō-ji and Engaku-ji temples in Kamakura and played a key role in introducing Zen Buddhism to the West. He also served as a chaplain during the Russo-Japanese War and was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun for promoting cultural understanding between Japan and the West.