Renowned for his long-time leadership in the lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai and as the founder of the Komeito party, a coalition partner of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Daisaku Ikeda peacefully passed away at 95 in his Tokyo home, the group confirmed.
File photo taken at a hotel in Tokyo in May 2008, shows Soka Gakkai lay Buddhist group leader Daisaku Ikeda. (Kyodo)
In 1960, Ikeda took on the role of the third president of Soka Gakkai, boasting over 8.27 million households as members, providing a significant electoral base for Komeito.
Ikeda laid the groundwork for Komeito’s predecessor political group in 1961, and later established Komeito in 1964. Despite a controversial episode regarding the separation of politics and religion, Ikeda continued to play a prominent role in both realms, shifting his focus more toward the activities of Soka Gakkai.
By 1979, Ikeda assumed the position of the group’s honorary president, only four years after founding Soka Gakkai International, which asserts a membership of 2.8 million individuals across over 190 nations and territories.
Promoting the “humanistic philosophy” of Nichiren Buddhism, Ikeda engaged in dialogues with influential world figures such as the late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to advocate for global peace, as documented on Soka Gakkai’s website.
Born in 1928 in Tokyo to a family of seaweed manufacturers, Ikeda’s encounter with the realities of life during World War II propelled him to dedicate his life to the pursuit of peace, as stated on the website.
“I cannot contain my deep sorrow,” expressed current Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada in a video shared online.
“Ikeda left a great mark on history through his efforts to promote peace, culture, and education in Japan and abroad,” reflected Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
