The Japan-U.S. Youth Peace General Meeting opened with a moving scene: 120 SGI-USA representatives entered the Hiroshima Ikeda Peace Memorial Hall hand in hand with members of the elementary school division, who guided them to their seats.
SGI-USA and Chugoku youth representatives came together for the March 22, 2026, event broadcast to some 20,000 participants across the five Chugoku prefectures, with Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada in attendance.
The event marked the 70th anniversary of the historic Yamaguchi Campaign—when Ikeda Sensei first visited Okayama and Yamaguchi in Japan, igniting a powerful expansion of kosen-rufu. That same spirit came alive as youth from different nations united with a shared vow: to work for the happiness of all people.
Taking the stage, Yosuke Kodama, of Hiroshima, and Kim Cadillo, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, shared their personal experiences of overcoming challenges through faith and their determinations to devote their lives to peace through the expansion of kosen-rufu.
The energy surged when Chugoku Territory Youth Leader Koji Honda and SGI-USA Youth Leader Shota Okajima leaped onto the stage and greeted one another with an enthusiastic handshake. Together, they called on every participant to “become a bridge of dialogue” and to summon the courage to take action—urging all to advance together in this new era of worldwide kosen-rufu, grounded in faith to make the impossible possible.
That spirit carried through vibrant performances. Three vocalists took the stage, soon joined by SGI-USA youth, lifting the entire audience to their feet as they sang “The Greatest Show” from the movie The Greatest Showman. The atmosphere grew more electric with a flag performance by the Chugoku youth’s NEKKI Squad, earning thunderous applause.
After a film introducing Sensei’s lifelong struggles for peace, Chugoku Leader Daisaku Shiode and Chugoku Women’s Leader Katsuko Sakurao addressed the audience. Amid the intensifying division and chaos in the world, they shared their resolve to take action with youth everywhere, embracing the spirit expressed in The New Human Revolution: “Nothing is more precious than peace. Nothing brings more happiness” (vol. 1, revised edition, p. 1).
In closing remarks, President Harada praised the youth of both countries for uniting in the vow to create peace. He expressed his hope that they would lead the way and pass the baton of kosen-rufu to the next generation. He emphasized that the SGI serves as the center of peace and human solidarity in the world, with its network of members expanding throughout the globe. Affirming that the times can be transformed through the passion and power of youth, he encouraged them to triumph in building a 21st century in which justice and the dignity of life prevail.
The meeting concluded as participants joined together in the world youth division song “Eternal Journey with Sensei!”—their voices filling the hall and their faces shining with determination. It marked not an ending, but rather a fresh departure toward building lasting peace.
May 15, 2026 World Tribune, p. 36
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