Soka Gakkai

Soka Gakkai (Japanese: 創価学会, Hepburn: Sōka Gakkai; 'Value-Creation Society') is a Japanese new religion led by Minoru Harada since December 2023 based on the teachings of the 13th-century Buddhist priest Nichiren. It claims the largest membership among Nichiren Buddhist groups. The organization bases its teachings on Nichiren's interpretation of the Lotus Sutra and places chanting Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō at the center of devotional practice. The organization promotes its goals as supporting "peace, culture, and education".

Soka Gakkai was founded by educators Makiguchi and Toda on 18 November 1930, and held its inaugural meeting in 1937. It was disbanded during the Second World War when much of the leadership was imprisoned for violations of the 1925 Peace Preservation Law and charges of lèse-majesté. After the war, its expansion was led by its former third president Daisaku Ikeda. In Japan, Soka Gakkai is the head of Komeito, a conservative party allied with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and founded by Daisaku Ikeda in 1964. It heads a financial, educational and media empire, including newspapers, publishing houses, financial holdings and a network of schools.

Soka Gakkai says it has 11 million members in 192 countries and territories around the world. However, this figure is not supported by any independent count. According to the American academic Levi McLaughlin, membership in Japan is closer to 2–3% of the country's population, or between 2.4 and 4 million people.

Soka Gakkai is still viewed with suspicion in Japan and has been embroiled in public controversies. Komeito, a political party closely aligned with Soka Gakkai and founded by elements of its lay membership, entered a coalition agreement with the Liberal Democratic Party in 1999 and is currently a junior partner in government. Soka Gakkai has been described as a cult.