Photo/Illutration Daisaku Ikeda, honorary chairman of Soka Gakkai, a lay Buddhist organization and one of the largest religious groups in Japan (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Daisaku Ikeda, the longtime leader of the lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai, one of the largest religious groups in Japan, has died. He was 95.

Soka Gakkai announced Nov. 18 that Ikeda, who in his later year held the position of honorary chairman, died three days earlier.

Ikeda became the third chairman of Soka Gakkai in 1960 when he was only 32. Membership in the organization expanded greatly during the two decades or so Ikeda was chairman. It now has a membership of about 8 million households.

Ikeda also founded junior coalition partner Komeito, which used its influence to reflect its pacifist leanings in government policy.

Although Ikeda stepped down as chairman in 1979, he wielded major influence over Soka Gakkai as honorary chairman.

He also served as chairman of Soka Gakkai International from 1975.

While the ruling Liberal Democratic Party at one time was one of the harshest critics of the close ties between Komeito and Soka Gakkai, that criticism all but ended after Komeito joined the ruling coalition from 1999.

Among the institutions established by Ikeda are Soka University, the Min-On Concert Association and the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum.

According to Soka Gakkai officials, Ikeda received a number of awards from foreign governments as well as honorary doctorates from numerous universities.

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