SGI General Director Yoshiki Tanigawa gave the following address at the commemorative meetings in Santa Monica and Oakland, California, marking the 65th anniversary of global kosen-rufu.
[Editor’s note: SGI General Director Yoshiki Tanigawa opened his remarks with leadership appointments (see this page). The following is his address thereafter.]
Now, I would like to say a few words about Adin Strauss, whose term as general director has been renewed. During these last 10 years as general director, he has demonstrated superb leadership, exhibiting outstanding attention to detail, taking effective action, uniting with others and modeling excellence in character.
Since taking on leadership as the general director in 2015, Adin has visited or offered personal guidance to 3,559 members to date, creating an energetic rhythm of visiting one member after another. I’ve also been reading and sharing with President Harada the activity reports and photos that Adin has been sending us almost weekly. I have such heartfelt respect for the exemplary actions he is taking as a leader.
Over these next three years, I will be chanting for, looking forward to and wholeheartedly supporting the continued success of Adin’s activities, which are sure to contribute to the further development of the SGI-USA.
Newly appointed women’s leader Monica Soto Ouchi, as you may know, serves as publisher of the World Tribune and Living Buddhism and is a mighty wielder of the pen. In addition, as a leader on the front lines, she has always taken action earnestly seeking to respond to Ikeda Sensei. She also finds creative and engaging ways to bring excitement to any campaign and effort so members can joyfully carry out their activities, garnering trust among many. I believe that with Monica’s leadership, the SGI-USA will open a new era in our movement.
I look forward to her incredible progress.
In addition, Naoko Leslie, who has served as the national women’s leader for the past seven years, has made remarkable contributions. She has led a bold, all-out effort to plant many seeds of the Mystic Law, while also advancing the initiative to study the Gosho with a seeking spirit and contributing significantly to the raising and nurturing of our future division members. I genuinely appreciate her indelible efforts! As Naoko supports Monica, the newly appointed women’s leader, I joyfully anticipate her further contributions.
Entrusting the Future to the Youth
This year is very auspicious and significant, marking the 65th anniversary of worldwide kosen-rufu and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the SGI. In addition, this year also marks 35 years since 1990, when Ikeda Sensei visited the United States for 17 days, pouring his entire being into giving guidance to the members here. At that time, he said the following:
The worldwide kosen-rufu movement was launched here in the United States 30 years ago. These 30 years have been the first phase. Now I would like to designate this last decade, up to Oct. 2, 2001, as the second stage in the worldwide kosen-rufu movement. (My Dear Friends in America, fourth edition, p. 4)
He also said:
Please advance steadily with the awareness that you are now building a foundation for the next thousand years of the kosen-rufu movement in the United States. …
Laying the groundwork may sound tedious and lack the brilliance that attracts people’s attention. However, such painstaking work is indispensable and extremely important. Once the foundation is solidified, you can construct anything on it. (MDFA, fourth edition, 6)
Along with offering this guidance, Sensei made every effort to encourage the youth.
The framework of the Seven Bells was established after second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda’s passing. Expressing the determination of President Toda’s disciples, Sensei announced these Seven Bells as seven, seven-year periods—starting from 1930, the Soka Gakkai’s establishment—to mark our progress toward realizing kosen-rufu. At that time, the grand goal was to reach 3 million member-households by the time of President Toda’s 7th memorial (1964). Then, in 1966, at the headquarters leaders meeting (held on May 3, 1966), Sensei spoke about his vision and goals toward the last set of Seven Bells, which would end in 1990 and would mark the 33rd memorial of President Toda’s passing. This would be in 1990, the year of Sensei’s visit to the U.S., where he spent 17 days here.
It was in 1990 when Sensei said that, if for some reason, he could not realize his vision himself, he would entrust the youth to resolutely ring a new set of Seven Bells for the 21st century. When I think about the passion with which Sensei raised the youth in the 1990s, I’m struck with a sense of awe and amazement.
The youth whom Sensei raised with such passion and with his entire being in the 1990s are now standing up as the central figures for initiating today’s new departure for SGI-USA. In a sense, I feel we are launching into the third stage of our worldwide kosen-rufu movement. There is no other time than now to respond to Sensei’s expectation for the SGI-USA to become the center of worldwide kosen-rufu in the 21st century! I would like all of us to set out from here, from today, by determining together to stir up fresh and powerful tides of hope!
Once again, congratulations to you all!
November 7, 2025 World Tribune, p. 7, 9
You are reading {{ meterCount }} of {{ meterMax }} free premium articles