[NEWS] Significant Events in Daisaku Ikeda’s Life : Daisaku Ikeda Legacy

Translated from Seikyo Shimbun article published on 19 November 2023.

January 2, 1928
Born in current Ota Ward, Tokyo, Japan
August 14, 1947
Attended Soka Gakkai discussion meeting, where he encounters Josei Toda who became his lifelong mentor
August 24, 1947
Joined Soka Gakkai and begins practicing Nichiren’s Buddhism
January 1952
Appointed as an advisor to Tokyo’s Kamata Chapter, initiated the Kamata February Campaign
May 3, 1952
Marries Kaneko Shiraki and moves to Mita in Meguro Ward, Tokyo
January 2, 1953
Appointed as Young Men’s First Corps leader
April 2, 1953
Appointed as Tokyo Bunkyo Chapter leader
March 30, 1954
Appointed as Soka Gakkai Youth Division Chief of Staff
July 1956
Soka Gakkai fields candidates in national elections at Osaka for the first time.
Achieved a dramatic victory where “The ‘Impossible’ Has Been Achieved!”
October 9, 1956
Took the lead in Yamaguchi campaign and direct the expansion of Kosen-rufu.
March 16, 1958
Commemorate Kosen-rufu Day, where Toda Sensei entrusted Ikeda Sensei with the future of Kosen-rufu
April 2, 1958
<Toda Sensei passed away at the age of 58.>
June 30, 1958
Appointed to the Soka Gakkai’s General Administrator, shouldering the full responsibility for the running the organisation.
May 3, 1960
Inaugurated as third Soka Gakkai President
October 2, 1960
First overseas guidance trip
October 18, 1963
Founded Min-on Concert Association in Tokyo, Japan
November 17, 1964
Komeito’s officially formed
December 2, 1964
Began writing the novel The Human Revolution
April 1968
Established Soka Junior and Senior High Schools
September 8, 1968
Proposed the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations at Soka Gakkai Student Division General Meeting
April 2, 1971
Opening of Soka University in Tokyo
May 5, 1972
Met with British historian Arnold J. Toynbee (1889-1975) for the first time at his home in London
January 26, 1975
Established Soka Gakkai International (SGI) and inaugurated as president of SGI
April 24, 1979
Inaugurated as Honorary Soka Gakkai President
January 25, 1983
Published a Peace Proposal titled “A New Proposal for Peace and Disarmament” on Seikyo Shimbun to commemorate January 26, SGI Day
August 8, 1983
Receives United Nations Peace Medal
November 3, 1983
Official opening of Fuji Art Museum
April 1985
Opening of Soka Women’s College
August 6, 1993
Commences writing the serialised novel, The New Human Revolution
June 26, 1996
Visited the Republic of Costa Rica in Central America and it makes his total overseas visits to 54 countries and territories.
May 3, 2001
Established Soka University of America
April 23, 2008
Announced at Headquarters Leaders meeting that Soka Gakkai expanded to 192 countries and territories
November 5, 2013
Official Opening of the Hall of Great Vow for Kosen-rufu
August 6, 2018
Completed all 30 volumes of the novel “New Human Revolution”
(The number of serializations, including that of the novel “Human Revolution”, totalled 7978)
April 28, 2022
Confers Honorary Doctor of Education from Chungbuk National University in South Korea. The number of honorary academic titles awarded reaches 400.
November 15, 2023
Passed away at the age of 95