History of SGI

The Soka Gakkai (literally, “Society for the Creation of Value”) was founded in 1930 by educator and author Tsunesaburo Makiguchi as a group of reformist educators. Makiguchi drew inspiration from Nichiren Buddhism to develop the organization into a broader-based movement focused on the propagation of Buddhism as a means to enable people to tap their inner potential and ultimately reform Japanese society. Facing oppression from the Japanese militarist government, Makiguchi and his closest follower Josei Toda were arrested and imprisoned in 1943 as “thought criminals”; Makiguchi died in prison in 1944.

After his release, Toda promoted an active, socially engaged form of Buddhism as a means of self-empowerment–a way to overcome obstacles in life and tap inner hope, confidence, courage and wisdom. He used the term “Human Revolution” to express the central idea of Nichiren Buddhism, that all people are capable of attaining enlightenment in this lifetime.

Toda was succeeded as president in 1960 by Daisaku Ikeda, who further developed the Soka Gakkai as a movement of empowered, socially engaged Buddhists. Soka Gakkai International (SGI) was founded on January 26, 1975, as a worldwide network of Buddhists dedicated to a common vision of a better world through the empowerment of the individual and the promotion of peace, culture and education. Under Ikeda’s leadership, the SGI has developed into one of the largest Buddhist movements in the world, fostering and promoting grassroots activities in areas such as nuclear abolition, human rights and education for sustainable living.”The Soka Gakkai International is a non-governmental organization (NGO) with official ties to the United Nations. It currently consists of 90 independent affiliated SGI organizations and has 12 million members in 192 countries and territories worldwide.

Introducing SGI Beyond Japanese Borders

International expansion of the Soka Gakkai began after World War II, when some Soka Gakkai members married mostly American servicemen and moved away from Japan. Expansion efforts gained a further boost in 1960 when Daisaku Ikeda succeeded Josei Toda as Soka Gakkai president. In his first year as president of the Soka Gakkai, Ikeda visited the United States, Canada, and Brazil. The Soka Gakkai’s American headquarters officially opened in Los Angeles in 1963.

The Soka Gakkai International was formed at a meeting in Guam on January 26, 1975. Representatives from 51 countries attended the meeting and chose Ikeda as the SGI’s founding president. The SGI was created in part as a new peace movement, and its founding meeting was held in Guam in a symbolic gesture referencing Guam’s history as the site of some of World War II’s bloodiest battles, and proximity to Tinian Island, launching place of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. Recent highlights also include:

• In January 2015, the director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo reported that the SGI had been nominated for the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize, as confirmed by a Nobel Peace Laureate.
• The SGI-USA was one of the organizing groups for the first-ever Buddhist conference at the White House, held in May 2015.
• In June 2015, the SGI-Italy was recognized by the Italian government with a special accord under Italian Constitution Article 8, acknowledging it as an official religion of Italy and eligible to receive direct taxpayer funding for its religious and social activities.