The Soka Gakkai is a lay Buddhist association that originally began as an educational movement in Japan in 1930. Its founder, Tsunesaburō Makiguchi (1871–1944), was inspired by the thought of Nichiren (1222–1282), a Japanese Buddhist monk. Nichiren's brand of Buddhism has exerted a diverse array of influences on modern Japanese society, and according to some interpretations, this can be partly attributed to [Page 1193]Nichiren's nationalistic appeals. Under these influences there emerged a number of religious figures and movements in 20th-century Japan, the Soka Gakkai being the most distinct example. It grew into a gigantic and influential religious group after World War II. In 1961, the Soka Gakkai formed a political group that eventually became a political party, Komeito, in 1964. Komeito participated in the coalition ...