Daisaku Ikeda and Language: An Introduction

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Notes

It is with great pleasure and sincere thanks to John Watzke and the reviewers that I guest edit this issue.

¹Ikeda founded the Soka schools network, which includes Soka University (1971; Tokyo), Soka Women's College (1985; Tokyo), Soka University of America (1987, 2001), Soka Junior and Senior High Schools (1968; Tokyo), Kansai Soka Junior and Senior High Schools (1973; Osaka), Tokyo Soka Elementary School (1978), Sapporo Soka Kindergarten (1976), Kansai Soka Elementary School (1982; Osaka), Brazil Soka (elementary and middle) School (2001), Brazil Soka Kindergarten (2001), Hong Kong Soka Kindergarten (1992), Malaysia Soka Kindergarten (1995), Singapore Soka Kindergarten (1993), and Soka Happiness Kindergarten of South Korea (2008).

²See “Sino-Japanese Relations” and “A Portrait of Citizen Diplomacy” at www.daisakuikeda.org. Vladimir Ageyev, a clinical professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo who was a professor at Moscow State University at the time of Ikeda's visit in 1974, asserted the following about Ikeda's citizen diplomacy between China and Russia: “The initiation of dialogue by a private citizen can really create a chain of positive events … President Ikeda serves as a great example of a private citizen who took on that cause … President Ikeda took a risk—one that required resolve. I clearly appreciate the contributions of President Ikeda. Dialogue is life and lack of dialogue is death” (quoted in Nobukuni, 2008, p. 6).

³For a complete list visit http://www.daisakuikeda.org/sub/resources/records/degree/by-date-order.html.