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Yuri Tsuzuki and Furman professor David Shaner took part in the Place of Peace dedication.

GREENVILLE, S.C.—This past Friday, Furman dedicated the Place of Peace, a former Buddhist temple that was taken apart in Japan and reconstructed on the Furman campus.

The dedication, which attracted approximately 400 people, included remarks by Furman president David Shi, construction supervisor Masao Nakajima, and Consul Masahiro Katamoto.  Dr. David Shaner, a professor of philosophy and Asian studies at Furman, performed a special Buddhist ceremony blessing the temple.

The Place of Peace is the former family temple of the Tsuzuki family of Greenville.  The structure was disassembled into 2,400 pieces in Nagoya, Japan, shipped in four containers across the Pacific Ocean, and reassembled by Japanese artisans on the Furman campus over the past few months.  The two Tsuzuki children, Seiji and Yuri, participated in the dedication.

The Place of Peace, which is located on a hill behind the Roe Art Building overlooking the Asia Garden, is no longer a temple since its shrine has been removed.  It will serve as an educational tool for the university’s Asian Studies Department and as a focal point of Furman’s commitment to sustainability.

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9-8-08