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News Highlights from Seikyo Shimbun
(the Soka Gakkai's daily newspaper)

  • Soka Gakkai Provides Support Following Kumamoto Earthquake Japan A group of men removing a refrigerator from a room damaged in the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake. On August 2, volunteers clear appliances and furniture from the home of a Uki City resident following the earthquake in Kumamoto [© Seikyo Shimbun] Soka Gakkai Provides Support Following Kumamoto Earthquake Japan:

    In response to the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28, several local Soka Gakkai centers were temporarily opened to provide emergency shelter. A volunteer relief team including members from neighboring areas was also formed and is carrying out clean-up activities and providing assistance. On August 2, 114 volunteers from this team divided into 29 groups and visited 40 locations to assist in clearing rubble from damaged houses in severely affected areas.

    Local Soka Gakkai leaders continue to provide encouragement and support to those affected and dispatch essential supplies such as water and hygiene products. The Soka Gakkai has also pledged significant donations in support of humanitarian assistance to be provided by local governments in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kumamoto City, Uki City, Uto City, Yatsushiro City and Hikawa Town.

  • Fife and Drum Corps Celebrates 70th Anniversary Japan Dancers wearing long, flowing costumes perform as a marching band plays behind them. [© Seikyo Shimbun] Fife and Drum Corps Celebrates 70th Anniversary Japan:

    The Fife and Drum Corps of the Soka Gakkai in Japan celebrated its 70th anniversary with two special concerts at the Kodaira Citizens Cultural Hall in Tokyo on July 25. The afternoon performance was attended by some 1,000 people, including Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada, Soka Gakkai Women’s Division Leader for Japan Masami Nasu and local government representatives. In her address, Fife and Drum Corps leader Sachie Washio reflected on the group’s 70-year history and expressed its aim to unite people through music. The evening performance was also attended by some 1,000 people.  

  • Soka Gakkai in Italy Marks Tenth Anniversary of Intesa Agreement Italy Four panelists seated on stage, positioned in front of a display of three flags and two portrait busts. Former Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato speaks at an event marking the 10th anniversary of the Intesa agreement between the Italian government and the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai [© Andrea Sabatello] Soka Gakkai in Italy Marks Tenth Anniversary of Intesa Agreement Italy:

    On July 20, a commemorative event was held at the Protomoteca Hall—Rome’s city hall—to mark the 10th anniversary of the July 2016 entry into force of the Intesa agreement signed between the Italian government and the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai. The agreement grants full recognition as a religious organization. The event focused on the role of religions in promoting the well-being of society and pursuing the path of peace and dialogue and was attended by former Prime Minister Giuliano Amato and the Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri. Some 200 people attended the event in person and over 1,000 people online. A congratulatory message from Italian President Sergio Mattarella was read during the ceremony. The program also included a panel discussion with experts from various fields followed by reflections from youth representatives of three religious organizations.

  • Global Nobel Laureates Assembly on AI and Nuclear War at Borgo Laudato Si’ Italy A man giving a speech, with a large conference banner behind him in a bright, glass-walled hall. In his speech, Yoshiyuki Nagaoka, executive director of the Office of Public Affairs of the Soka Gakkai, said, “The capacity to heal people and our planet exists, not as something separate from ourselves, but within each of us.” [© benedetta guidantoni] Global Nobel Laureates Assembly on AI and Nuclear War at Borgo Laudato Si’ Italy:

    From July 14 to 16, Soka Gakkai representatives joined the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear War held at Borgo Laudato Si’ on the Vatican’s papal estate in Castel Gandolfo, and at Rome’s Capitoline Hill. Over the three days, some 200 people, including Nobel laureates, former heads of state, AI experts, faith representatives, and delegates from universities, research institutions and international organizations, gathered to discuss ethics, autonomous weapons and the nuclear threat. The event was supported by the Soka Gakkai, together with 11 other organizations and was inspired by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV’s May 2026 encyclical Magnifica humanitas that was dedicated to safeguarding the human person in the age of artificial intelligence.

    On July 15, at a session titled “Faith and the Future of Humanity in the Age of AI and Nuclear Weapons,” Yoshiyuki Nagaoka, executive director of the Office of Public Affairs of the Soka Gakkai, gave a presentation. Other speakers included representatives from various faith traditions.

    At the Capitoline Hill in Rome on July 16, "The Rome Declaration for an Unarmed and Disarming Peace in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Nuclear and Autonomous Weapons, New Digital Protocols, and Emerging Models of Digital Development" was signed. The declaration calls for new international governance of AI and renewed efforts towards nuclear disarmament.