Yoshitaka Tamai Statue, Denver

Sakura Square in downtown Denver might not exist if not for Buddhist Reverend Yoshitaka Tamai. A devout Buddhist, Tamai moved to Denver in 1930 and promptly set up and took over the Buddhist temple at 20th and Lawrence Street. Tamai welcomed all of the Japanese community in Denver to his temple and dedicated the rest of his life to the spiritual, cultural, and social needs of Buddhists and Asian Americans in the Midwest. The apartment complex at Sakura Square, Tamai Tower, was erected in his memory in 1977, and in 1996 this statue, featuring quotes from Tamai himself, was dedicated to him as well.

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