Passing of President Daisaku Ikeda

Japan 2023
Portrait photo of Daisaku Ikeda in a suit wearing a blue tie
[© Seikyo Shimbun]

On November 18, the Soka Gakkai announced that Daisaku Ikeda, Honorary President of the Soka Gakkai and President of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), had passed away from natural causes at his residence in Shinjuku, Tokyo, on the evening of November 15, 2023. He was ninety-five. A funeral has been held with members of his immediate family.    

Mr. Ikeda was born in Tokyo on January 2, 1928. He was inaugurated as third president of the Soka Gakkai in 1960 and, for almost two decades, led the organization in dynamic growth that also saw important international development. He became president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) in 1975 and honorary president the Soka Gakkai in 1979. He is survived by his wife Kaneko and his sons Hiromasa and Takahiro.