TagSoka Gakkai History

Ikeda Sensei’s 27 Visits to America

This Month in Soka Gakkai History 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 rebuilt the Soka Gakkai and achieved his lifetime membership goal of 750,000 households. (See

3/5 Founding of the Men’s Division In 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, he said, “If the men’s division develops remarkably and establishes a solid framework for kosen-rufu, our organization will remain secure forever” (The New Human

The February Campaign  In February 1952, 24-year-old Daisaku Ikeda led Kamata Chapter in achieving the unprecedented monthly propagation result of 201 new households. This victory adorned second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda’s birth month with a significant milestone in propagation. (See The Human Revolution, “Dashing Forward” chapter and The New Human Revolution, vol. 3, “Light

1/3 75 years since Ikeda Sensei started working at Nihon Shogakkan, Josei Toda’s publishing company (1949) 3/30 70th anniversary of Sensei’s appointment as youth division chief of staff (1954) 4/1 50th anniversary of Sensei’s first overseas university lecture at the University of California, Los Angeles (1974) 5/3–5 45 years since Sensei inscribed the Calligraphies “Justice”

11/18 Soka Gakkai Founding Day In 1930, founding Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, together with Josei Toda, published the first volume of Soka kyoikugaku taikei (The System of Value-Creating Education). This date later became known as the founding day of the Soka Gakkai. (See The New Human Revolution, vol. 23, “Bold Struggle” chapter; and NHR-27,

10/2 World Peace Day  In 1960, Ikeda Sensei departed for his first overseas trip to spread Nichiren Buddhism globally on behalf of his mentor, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda. This day later became recognized as World Peace Day. (See The New Human Revolution, vol. 1, “Sunrise” chapter; and NHR-24, “Ode to Mothers” chapter) 10/5

9/8 Anniversary of the Declaration for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons In 1957, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda made this declaration at the Mitsuzawa Stadium in Yokohama, Japan. He entrusted his successors in the youth division to spread throughout the world the belief that nuclear weapons are an absolute evil. This declaration became the

8/1 45th Anniversary of the Song ‘Runners for Justice’ In the Aug. 1, 1978, issue of the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper, Seikyo Shimbun, Ikeda Sensei presented the high school division a song he composed called “Runners for Justice.” It was revised in 2010 and now serves as the future division song.  8/6 Sensei Begins and

7/3 Mentor and Disciple Day In 1945, Josei Toda, then-Soka Gakkai general director, was released from prison after being incarcerated for two years for refusing to forsake his faith, violating the wartime Peace Preservation Law. On the same day in 1957, a young Daisaku Ikeda, then-youth division chief of staff, was arrested by the Osaka

6/4 SGI Ikeda Kayo-kai Day In 2009, Ikeda Sensei and his wife, Kaneko, visited the Soka Young Women’s Center in Shinanomachi, Tokyo, for the first time and presented five eternal guidelines for the young women’s division. To commemorate this day, June 4 is celebrated as SGI Ikeda Kayo-kai Day. 6/6 Tsunesaburo Makiguchi’s Birthday In 1871,

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

4/2 Josei Toda’s Passing  In 1958, after fulfilling every one of his vows for kosen-rufu, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda’s noble life came to a close. He was 58. Standing alone amid the ruins of postwar Japan and carrying on the final injunction of founding Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Mr. Toda rebuilt the

3/5 Founding of the Men’s Division  In 1966, 750 representative Soka Gakkai members gathered with Ikeda Sensei at the Soka Gakkai headquarters in Tokyo to mark  the establishment of the men’s division. Sensei expressed his expectations of the men: “Become golden pillars supporting the citadel of Soka. … If the men’s division develops remarkably and

Feb The February Campaign  In February 1952, as the Kamata Chapter advisor, 24-year-old Daisaku Ikeda led the chapter in achieving the unprecedented monthly propagation result of 201 new households. To adorn second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda’s birth month with a significant milestone in propagation, he focused on each unit, the front line of the

1/15 Establishment of the junior high school division In 1965, meetings of the high school and junior high school divisions were held throughout Japan, marking the establishment of the junior high school division. (See The New Human Revolution, vol. 9, “Young Phoenixes” chapter)  1/25 Sensei declared ‘not guilty’ in the Osaka Incident On July 3,

12/2 Ikeda Sensei Started ‘The Human Revolution’ In 1964, Ikeda Sensei began writing The Human Revolution in Okinawa, the stage of a horrific land battle during the Pacific War. The Human Revolution, comprising 12 volumes, took more than 28 years to complete, with over 1,509 installments serialized in the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper, Seikyo Shimbun.

11/18 Soka Gakkai Founding Day  In 1930, founding Soka Gakkai President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, together with Josei Toda, published the first volume of The System of Value-Creating Education (Soka Kyoikugaku Taikei). This date later became known as the founding day of the Soka Gakkai. In November 2013,  based on his vow to lead all people to

10/2 World Peace Day  In 1960, Ikeda Sensei departed for his first overseas trip to realize the ideals of his mentor, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda, and took his first steps for worldwide kosen-rufu in North and South America. (See The New Human Revolution, vol. 1, “Sunrise” chapter, and NHR-24, “Ode to Mothers” chapter)

9/8 65th Anniversary of Josei Toda’s Declaration for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons In 1957, second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda made this declaration at the Mitsuzawa Stadium in Yokohama, Japan. He entrusted his successors in the youth division to spread throughout the world the belief that nuclear weapons are an absolute evil. This declaration