Daisaku Ikeda

Who is Daisaku Ikeda?

Daisaku Ikeda is president of Sōka Gakkai International, a Nichiren Buddhist lay association with more than 12 million members in 192 countries and territories, which is recognized by the United Nations as a nongovernmental organization for its activities promoting nuclear disarmament and human security. He is founder of several educational institutions, including Soka University and Soka University of America; cultural institutions including the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum and Min-On Concert Association; and peace research institutions, including the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research. Ikeda is a Buddhist leader, peacebuilder, educator, prolific writer and poet whose works have been published in more than 40 languages. As the third president of the Soka Gakkai and founder of Soka Gakkai International, Ikeda has developed and inspired what may be the largest, most diverse international lay Buddhist association in the world today. The movement inspired by him is characterized by its emphasis on individual empowerment and social engagement to advance peace, culture and education. As of 2013, he is the recipient of over 300 honorary doctorates throughout the world.