CategoryOur History

5/3 Soka Gakkai Day In 1951, Josei Toda is inaugurated as second Soka Gakkai president and declares his lifetime membership goal of 750,000 households. On May 3, 1960, 32-year-old Daisaku Ikeda is inaugurated as third Soka Gakkai president, vowing to advance kosen-rufu. (See The Human Revolution, “Blazing Sun” and “New Dawn” chapters.)  Soka Gakkai Mother’s

4/2 Josei Toda’s Passing In 1958, Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda’s noble life of 58 years came to a close. Carrying on the final injunction of founding Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Mr. Toda had rebuilt the Soka Gakkai and achieved his lifetime membership goal of 750,000 households. This magnificent accomplishment shines eternally in

“Winter always turns to spring.” “The wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat.” “Prayers offered by a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra will be answered just as an echo answers a sound.” “Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbor doubts in our hearts, we will as a

3/5 Men’s Division Founding DayIn 1966, 750 representatives gathered with Ikeda Sensei at the Soka Gakkai headquarters in Tokyo, marking the establishment of the men’s division. On that occasion, Sensei said: “Become golden pillars supporting the citadel of Soka. … If the men’s division develops remarkably and establishes a solid framework for kosen-rufu, our organization

In the predawn chill of March 16, 1958, some 6,000 youth gathered at the foot of Mount Fuji for a solemn ceremony with their mentor, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda. Mr. Toda was fighting the limits of his own mortality as he searched for ways to empower as many youth as possible to assume

Making a Vow on March 16 This year marks the 64th anniversary of March 16, 1958, when second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda passed the baton of achieving kosen-rufu to the youth. At his inauguration as Soka Gakkai president on May 3, 1951, Mr. Toda vowed to take the organization’s membership from 3,000 to 750,000

Every year on Feb. 27, the women of America celebrate SGI-USA Women’s Day by renewing their vow to become happy and help others do the same. On this day in 1990, representative women from across the country joined Ikeda Sensei and Kaneko Ikeda for the First SGI-USA Women’s Division Meeting, held at the former Soka

This month we celebrate the 122nd anniversary of second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda’s birth. Josei Toda was born on Feb. 11, 1900, in Ishikawa Prefecture in the Hokuriku region of Japan. He was an educator, publisher and entrepreneur who was responsible for publishing Soka kyoikugaku taikei (The System of Value-Creating Education), the seminal work

Nichiren Daishonin was born on Feb. 16, 1222, in a village on the eastern coast of Awa Province in present-day Chiba Prefecture. His family made a living as fishermen during the Kamakura Period. This was when the nation was fraught with natural disasters and power clashes within the ruling warrior class, and religious leaders sought

February 2022

In early 1952, the Soka Gakkai was still a fledgling people’s movement when second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda dispatched his young disciple Daisaku Ikeda, to Kamata Chapter to create a model for widely sharing the humanistic ideals of Nichiren Buddhism in a society still reeling from war. That February, the young Daisaku led the

1/25 60th Anniversary of Ikeda Sensei’s Acquittal in the Osaka Incident[1] 1/27 60th Anniversary of the Institute of Oriental Philosophy’s Establishment 1/29-2/29 70th Anniversary of the Kamata Campaign[2] 5/5 50th Anniversary of the First Dialogue Between Sensei and British Historian Arnold J. Toynbee 6/30 65th Anniversary of the Student Division’s Founding 8/14 75th Anniversary of

1/15 Establishment of the Junior High School DivisionIn 1965, the high school and junior high school divisions held meetings throughout Japan, marking the establishment of the junior high school division. (See The New Human Revolution, vol. 9, “Young Phoenixes” chapter) 1/25 Sensei Found ‘Not Guilt’ in the Osaka IncidentOn July 3, 1957, Sensei was unjustly

This year, we celebrate 800 years since Nichiren Daishonin was born on February 16, 1222. Nichiren dedicated his life to propagating the Mystic Law—Nam-myoho-renge-kyo—motivated by a commitment to eradicate suffering and enable all people to reveal their innate Buddhahood. He encountered unrelenting persecution throughout his life as he sought to end the evils obstructing people’s

12/2 Ikeda Sensei Starting Writing ‘The Human Revolution’ In 1964, Ikeda Sensei began writing The Human Revolution in Okinawa, the place that was the stage of a horrific land battle during the Pacific War. The Human Revolution, comprising 12 volumes, took over 28 years to complete. (See The New Human Revolution, vol. 9, “Hope of

Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, first president of the Soka Gakkai, and his disciple, (second president) Josei Toda, published the first in a series of writings outlining the system of soka, or value-creating pedagogy, on Nov. 18, 1930. This date marks the founding of the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai—the Society for Value-Creating Education. The word soka, which was coined

Nov. 14, 2021, marks 40 years since the completion of the “Song of Crimson.” After the first priesthood issue,[1]the young men’s division members of Shikoku created the song together with Ikeda Sensei as an expression of their determination to secure the future of kosen-rufu together with their mentor. Let’s revisit the spirit behind “Song of

11/4 40th Anniversary of the ‘Song of Crimson’ Nov. 14, 1981: The “Song of Crimson” was completed after more than 20 revisions by Ikeda Sensei and the young men’s division of Shikoku. This song expressed everything that Sensei wished to convey to the youth to whom he entrusted the future of kosen-rufu. (See The New

10/2 World Peace Day Oct. 2, 1960: Ikeda Sensei departed for his first overseas trip to realize the ideals of his mentor, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda. Later, this day became known as “World Peace Day.” (See The New Human Revolution, vol. 1, “Sunrise” chapter, and NHR-24, “Ode to Mothers” chapter) 10/4 The 50th

750 Years Since the Tatsunokuchi Persecution by Daisaku Ikeda