Today is the foundation day of the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai (Society for Educational Value-Creating) which was formed on 18 November 1930 by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda who had been practising Nichiren Buddhism for two years.
Both
President Makiguchi and Josei Toda were not prepared to compromise their faith,
and were among only a few Nichiren Buddhists across Japan that refused to
enshrine a Shinto talisman with their Gohonzon during World War II. This, together with President Makiguchi’s open
criticism of the military authorities' restrictions on Buddhist practice at that time, led to their
arrest and imprisonment. Mr. Makiguchi later
died in prison on the 18 November 1944.
Josei Toda
left prison on probation in 1945 and although he was suffering physically, his
faith and spirit remained strong allowing him to oversee the growth of the Soka Gakkai across Japan. 
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