A Voyage for Peace

In the final months of his life, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda left to the youth this final injunction: abolish nuclear weapons. And more: abolish the very evils permitting their existence. Soon after, he prepared, in fast-failing health, to depart for a guidance tour of Hiroshima, the first place to suffer an atomic bombing. He was resolved to go even at the cost of his life, but his health prevented him in the end—he collapsed the morning of his scheduled departure. A few months later, he passed away, on April 2, 1958. In The New Human Revolution, Ikeda Sensei recounts: “When [he] thought of his mentor’s determined feelings, he himself felt that, as Toda’s disciple, he couldn’t set foot in Hiroshima if he wasn’t engaged in a wholehearted struggle for peace” (vol. 22, p. 316).

Beginning in May 1974, Ikeda Sensei prepared for his own tour of Hiroshima by striving vigorously on a worldwide tour for peace. Traveling multiple times to the Soviet Union, the United States and China, he spoke with top leaders and ordinary citizens alike, building bridges of trust and of peace that helped prevent further escalations of tensions between nations.

At the start of this year, 120 youth from SGI-USA likewise prepared themselves to set foot in Hiroshima, the international city of peace. Treating their daily lives as arenas for peace, they gave their all to sharing Buddhism with their friends. Convening in Tokyo on March 19, they then traveled to Chugoku, the region encompassing Hiroshima. From there, they branched off to meet in small groups with local members and their friends throughout the Chugoku region.

The Chugoku members themselves had thoroughly prepared, pouring their all into creating an unforgettable experience for the visiting youth. They too had been chanting in earnest for the peace of the land and brought many of their friends to meet with the American youth. In total, over 1,500 guests attended the 20 exchange meetings attended by the training course participants. Everyone involved embraced every moment, knowing that it would never come again. 

“Life is short,” Sensei said once to youth members of Hiroshima, the children of atomic bomb survivors. “That’s why at each moment I struggle with all my might” (see NHR-22, 317).