CategorySGI News

I am deeply saddened to share the news that former SGI General Director Yoshitaka Oba passed away on July 30, at the age of 84. Mr. Oba served as SGI general director for two decades from 2004 to 2024. Throughout that time, he devoted himself tirelessly to encouraging members around the world and helped build

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our kosen-rufu movement. Financial resources serve an indispensable role as we continue our vital work to support our members’ Buddhist practice and development while reaching out to those seeking a philosophy of hope. Here are some ways that your financial contributions are supporting the advancement of

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 14, 2025—With jubilant cheers, waving pom-poms and playing SGI songs outside the entrance, SGI-USA members and guests gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the SGI-USA Silicon Valley Buddhist Center—a long-awaited new home for kosen-rufu in the heart of Silicon Valley. The new center, located in Sunnyvale, was once a 24-hour gym

As the world faces two mounting existential threats—the heightened risk of nuclear weapons use and the accelerating climate crisis—the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is calling for renewed global solidarity and decisive action. With climate impacts intensifying worldwide and the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius increasingly in jeopardy, the SGI

On the 2nd anniversary of Ikeda Sensei’s passing, SGI members refresh their vow to advance eternally in the shared struggle of mentor and disciple.

September 12, 2025 World Tribune, p. 4

July 11, 2025 World Tribune, p. 11

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.—The Soka Institute for Global Solutions (SIGS) held the second in a three-part symposia on Peace and Reconciliation in East Asia from April 17 to 19 at Soka University of America (SUA) in Aliso Viejo, California. The symposium, which centered on approaches to peacebuilding based on East Asia’s historical context, brought together SUA

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.—Soka University of America announced actor and humanitarian Orlando Bloom as the keynote speaker of the 2025 commencement ceremony, which will be held on May 23 at its Soka Performing Arts Center. SUA President Edward M. Feasel said that Mr. Bloom embodies everything they hope their graduates become, noting that as a UNICEF

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to advancing our kosen-rufu movement. Financial resources are indispensable as we continue our vital work to support our members’ Buddhist practice and development while reaching out to those seeking a philosophy of hope and respect for the dignity of life. Here are some ways that your financial

ALISO VIEJO, Calif.—Jazz titan and global humanitarian Herbie Hancock will receive the 2025 Soka Global Citizen Award, Soka University of America (SUA) announced in a statement. The honor celebrates Mr. Hancock’s six-decade journey as a musical innovator and cultural bridge-builder whose influence stretches far beyond the keyboard. “Herbie Hancock embodies what it means to be

Symposium unites voices in the effort to prevent nuclear war.

From 1983 to 2022, Ikeda Sensei issued 40 consecutive annual peace proposals on Jan. 26 to mark the SGI’s establishment in 1975. In these peace proposals, Sensei explored the interrelation between core Buddhist concepts and the diverse challenges the world faces—such as disarmament, environmental degradation and human rights—and provided concrete suggestions toward their resolution. In

Youth pledge breakthroughs toward nuclear abolition and climate change.