Sōyū Matsuoka was a Japanese Soto Zen priest who brought or lineage from Japan to America.  Shortly before World War II Matsuoka came to the US, to serve Japanese immigrants. He came to be the assistant to the abbot of Zenshuji Temple in Los Angeles, and was later the supervisor at Sokoji Soto Zen Mission (Temple) in San Francisco. Matsuoka established the Chicago Buddhist Temple in 1949 (now the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago). In the 1960s he gathered a following of Americans.  In 1970 Matsuoka left Chicago and moved to Long Beach, California, where he continued to preside over other communities.  He eventually left to formal Soto organization based in Japan and henceforth transmitted an independent branch of Zen.  Some key Dharma Heirs of Matsuoka Roshi were Hogaku Shozen McGuire, Zenkai Taiun Michael Elliston and  Kaiten Johndennis Govert.  He passed away in 1997.