Soka Gakkai

MediaKit

BUDDHISM IN
ACTION FOR PEACE

Empowering individuals
toward positive global change
www.sokaglobal.org

Soka Gakkai
International Office ofPublic Information

The International Office of Public Information of the Soka Gakkai, based in Tokyo,
Japan, provides information and responds to queries from the media and researchers.

Media Queries+81-3-5360-9830
Joan Anderson+81-80-5957-4711
anderson[at]soka.jp

FACTS AND FIGURESThe Soka Gakkai is a global community-based Buddhist organization that
promotes peace, culture and education centered on respect for the dignity of life.
It has 12 million members in 192 countries and territories worldwide
with 90 registered constituent organizations.
Soka Gakkai members practice Nichiren Buddhism, and their basic Buddhist
practice is chanting the phrase “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” and reciting excerptsof the Lotus Sutra. They hold regular local discussion meetings to study
Buddhist principles and their application to everyday life.

Membership
There are 8.27 million member households in Japan,
and 2.8 million members outside Japan:
Asia & Oceania: 1,910,000
North America: 352,000
Central & South America: 325,000
Europe: 162,000
Africa & Middle East: 51,000

President
The president of the Soka Gakkai isMinoru Harada (1941– ).
Harada joined the Soka Gakkai in 1953.
He became president of the Soka Gakkai in 2006 afterserving as Secretary General and Vice General Director.

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The Soka Gakkai upholds a
spiritual lineage that originates
some 2,500 years ago withShakyamuni and has
been continued by Buddhist
teachers in India, China andJapan, reaching its mostprofound expression in theteachings of Nichiren(1222-82).

The organization’s roots date to 1930 in Japan, when
Makiguchi and Toda founded the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai(Society for Value-Creating Education), the forerunnerof the Soka Gakkai. With Makiguchi as its firstpresident, the organization began as a group ofteachers focused on educational reform but later
developed into a movement dedicated to thebetterment of society through individual innertransformation based on Nichiren Buddhism.

1943

Makiguchi and Toda were imprisoned as “thoughtcriminals” for refusing to adhere to the State Shinto
religion used by the militarist government to exert
ideological control over the population. Makiguchi
died in prison, and Toda emerged in 1945 to rebuild
the Soka Gakkai, later becoming the second president.

1947

Amid the chaos of postwar Japan, Ikeda encounteredToda, who became his mentor, and joined the SokaGakkai.

1960

The first three presidentsof the Soka Gakkai,
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi,
Josei Toda and Daisaku Ikeda,
have revived Nichiren Buddhism
in the modern age and created thebasis for its development as a
globally accessible philosophy.

Tsunesaburo
Makiguchi(1871–1944)

Ikeda became the third president of the Soka Gakkai,
marking the beginning of the organization’s growthinternationally.

1975

The Soka Gakkai International (SGI) was formed as a
global association to link independent Soka Gakkaiorganizations around the world, and Ikeda became itspresident.

1983

The SGI was accredited as a nongovernmentalorganization (NGO) with the United Nations Economicand Social Council (ECOSOC).

1995

The SGI Charter was adopted, expressing theassociation’s commitment to strive for a peacefulworld, contributing to peace, culture and education
based on respect for the dignity of life.

2017

Josei Toda(1900–58)

The Soka Gakkai adopted its new Constitution,clarifying the role of the founding presidents, basic
aspects of the organization's global administration, its
essential doctrinal stance and objectives of promoting
Nichiren Buddhism for the sake of peace and humanhappiness.

2021

Daisaku Ikeda(1928– )The SGI Charter was updated and adopted as the Soka
Gakkai Charter, further articulating the principles
guiding the organization’s social engagement
grounded in an unwavering commitment tononviolence and the culture of peace.

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PEACE ACTIVITIESThe Soka Gakkai and the SGI (Soka Gakkai International)
engage in activities to promote a culture of peace.
Working with the United Nations, NGOs and other stakeholders, the SGI
undertakes efforts to address global issues through raising awarenessamong the public and bringing ideas and recommendations to the UN.
Awareness-raising activities around current global issues arecarried out in five main areas:

Peace and disarmament
Education for sustainable development and climate action
Human rights education
Humanitarian relief and disaster risk reduction
Gender equality and women’s empowerment
The range of activities includes exhibitions, symposiums,interfaith dialogue, cultural events and humanitarian relief.
Beginning in 1983, Daisaku Ikeda authored 40 annual peace proposals
directed toward the international community that address issues
facing humanity, suggesting solutions and responses
grounded in Buddhist philosophy.
These proposals, together with statements he continues to issue on global
challenges, provide impetus and direction to the organization’sgrassroots efforts to build a lasting culture of peace.
The SGI has been accredited as a nongovernmental organization (NGO)in consultative status with the United Nations Economic andSocial Council (ECOSOC) since 1983.
The SGI Office for UN Affairs in New York and Geneva isactively engaged at the United Nations.

Peace Activities Annual Reports

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AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONSThe Soka Gakkai has a number of affiliated secular organizations that work
to promote peace, culture and education. The activities of these affiliates are open to all.

Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, andDialogue
islocatedinCambridge,Massachusetts. Its mission is to build culturesof peace through learning and dialogue
inspired by Buddhist humanism.
www.ikedacenter.org

Institute of Oriental Philosophy isdedicated to advancing scholarly inquiry into
Buddhism and other world religions in orderto clarify the universal value of religion andthereby help address the issues facing
humanity today. www.iop.or.jp/

Min-On(“People’sMusic”)
Concert
Association in Tokyo was founded with theaim of deepening mutual understanding andfriendship among countries by promoting the
global exchange of musical culture.
www.min-on.org

Tokyo Fuji Art Museum was established topromote peace and mutual understanding
through cultural and artistic exchange as wellas making art more widely accessible to thepublic. www.fujibi.or.jp/

Toda Peace Institute is an independent,
nonpartisan institute committed to promoting
a nonviolent, sustainable and peaceful world
through policy-oriented peace research andpractice. It commissions research, convenes
problem solving workshops and seminars andpromotes dialogue across ethnic, religious
and political divides. www.toda.org/

Soka Education System: Building on thechild-centered educational philosophy ofTsunesaburo Makiguchi, the first president of
the Soka Gakkai, the Soka education system(kindergarten
throughuniversity)
wasfounded by Daisaku Ikeda in order to foster
global citizens who will contribute to society
and help strengthen the foundations of peace.
www.soka.edu Soka University of America
www.soka.ac.jp Soka University in Japan（（））

Soka Amazon Institute is situated in Brazil
near Manaus. It carries out research into theconservation of the global ecosystem,
preserves tree seeds and undertakes
reforestation initiatives and environmental
education programs.
www.institutosoka-amazonia.org.br/en/homeen/

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FAQ

How does the Soka Gakkai adapt to different cultures?
The Soka Gakkai respects cultural diversity and encourages its members to be responsible
citizens of their respective societies. In each country, for instance, the style and format of regular
discussion meetings express the cultural diversity of that society.
Based on its Buddhist philosophy, the Soka Gakkai respects other religions, engages in dialogue
and works together with them toward the resolution of fundamental issues concerning
humanity.

How is the President of the Soka Gakkai selected?
Within the Soka Gakkai there is a President Selection Committee consisting of representative
members of the Board of General Administrators. The term of the President is four years.

What is the role of Daisaku Ikeda?
Daisaku Ikeda is one of the three founding presidents of the Soka Gakkai. He has written
numerous essays, articles and books on the Buddhist philosophy of Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra
to inspire and encourage the members of the Soka Gakkai around the world. Many Soka Gakkai
members view Daisaku Ikeda as their mentor due to the depth of his understanding of Nichiren
Buddhism, and his efforts to encourage others to become empowered through Buddhist
philosophy and practice.
Ikeda stresses that he owes everything to his own mentor, second Soka Gakkai President Josei
Toda (1900–58). The tradition of passing down teachings from mentor to disciple, or teacher tostudent, has a long history in Buddhism. The commitment of the mentor, or teacher, is to passingon what he or she has learned, so that eventually the disciple surpasses the mentor.

How is the Soka Gakkai financed?
Soka Gakkai organizations are supported through the donations of their members. In Japan, theorganization also receives income from subscriptions to the Seikyo Shimbun daily newspaper.

Does the Soka Gakkai engage in political lobbying?
As an NGO, the SGI (Soka Gakkai International) is engaged in efforts to promote peace anddisarmament; education for sustainable development and climate action; human rights
education, humanitarian relief, gender equality and women’s empowerment, in cooperation withother NGOs and UN agencies.
For unique historical reasons, the Soka Gakkai in Japan is the main endorsing body for theKomeito political party, which has a platform of policies aimed at peace, environmental
protection and support for the vulnerable. Soka Gakkai organizations outside Japan do not andwill not ever engage in political activities.

6FAQ

What activities does the Soka Gakkai undertake to promote peace andnuclear disarmament?
Since 1957, when second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda issued his Declaration Calling for theAbolition of Nuclear Weapons, the Soka Gakkai has been committed to ridding the world of theseinhumane weapons. It has created educational resources, including collections of hibakusha
testimonies and exhibitions, and held numerous forums and awareness-raising and signature
gathering campaigns calling for nuclear weapons abolition. These efforts are inspired by thepeace philosophy of SGI President Daisaku Ikeda and his peace proposals and statements. TheSoka Gakkai is a partner of ICAN and welcomes the Treaty on the Prohibition of NuclearWeapons.

What action is the Soka Gakkai taking to address climate change?
The Soka Gakkai is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and switching to renewableenergy sources, taking into consideration local needs, priorities and resources in specific regions
and countries. It undertakes awareness-raising campaigns aimed at encouraging individual andcollective action toward climate justice. Its affiliated Soka Amazon Institute near Manaus, Brazil,
carries out reforestation and tree planting programs that help absorb CO2 and inform localpeople about the value of the forest.

What is the stance of the Soka Gakkai toward people embracing LGBTQIA
and other gender or sexual identities?
The Soka Gakkai embraces and accepts all individuals regardless of their gender or sexualidentities, and opposes all forms of discrimination. The Soka Gakkai upholds the international
human rights standards enunciated by the United Nations, but recognizes that different
countries are at different stages in the application of these standards, and that there aredifferences in their understanding of, and legal framework regarding, LGBTQIA issues. Theorganization looks forward to the progress of constructive debate in each national setting.

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RELATED WEBSITES

Daisaku Ikeda Website
www.daisakuikeda.org

Nichiren Buddhism Library
www.nichirenlibrary.org

SGI Action for Peace
https://sgi-peace.org/

SOCIAL MEDIA
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International Office of Public Information
32 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku,
Tokyo 160-8583, Japan+81-3-5360-9830
Media Queries
Joan Anderson+81-80-5957-4711
anderson[at]soka.jp

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