This article is about the Japanese university, for the university located in the United States, please see Soka University of America

Soka University of America

Soka University of America is a university located in Aliso Viejo, California, United States. It describes its mission as the fostering of a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life—with an emphasis on principles of pacifism, human rights, and the creative...

.

is a private university

Private university

Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...

 located in Hachiōji, Tokyo

Hachioji, Tokyo

is a city located in Tokyo, Japan, about 40 kilometers west of the center of the special wards of Tokyo.As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 551,901 and a population density of 2,962.27/km². The total area is 186.31 km². It is the eighth largest city in the...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. The school was founded in 1969 and opened to undergraduate students in 1971 and opened a graduate school in 1975.

Soka University of America

Soka University of America

Soka University of America is a university located in Aliso Viejo, California, United States. It describes its mission as the fostering of a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life—with an emphasis on principles of pacifism, human rights, and the creative...

  is a related school located in Aliso Viejo, California

Aliso Viejo, California

Aliso Viejo is a city in Orange County, California. It had a population of 47,823 as of the 2010 census, up from 40,166 as of the 2000 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in the county to incorporate since 2000...

 and offers a wide range of both graduate and undergraduate degrees. It was founded in 2001.

Philosophy of Soka Education

Soka University's educational philosophy was established by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi

Tsunesaburo Makiguchi

Tsunesaburō Makiguchi was a Japanese educator who founded and became the first president of Sōka Gakkai....

, the first president of Soka Gakkai, who had worked as the principal of an elementary school in Japan. Makiguchi published the Value Creating Educational System based on his belief that "the purpose of education is to lead students' happiness," and emphasized humanistic education pedagogy. This educational philosophy was shared by his successor, Josei Toda

Josei Toda

was an educator, peace activist and second president of Sōka Gakkai from 1951 to 1958. Like his mentor, Tsunesaburō Makiguchi, he was an innovative educator disillusioned with the Japanese educational system—which he thought of as suppressive of individual thought and as geared toward the interests...

, who had served as an elementary school teacher. Toda's successor Daisaku Ikeda

Daisaku Ikeda

is president of Sōka Gakkai International , a Nichiren Buddhist lay association which claims 12 million members in 192 countries and territories, and founder of several educational, cultural and peace research institutions.-Life and establishment of SGI:...

 describes his goal as carrying out the dreams of Makiguchi and Toda.

Soka is a Japanese term meaning "value creation." In 1971, as Dr. Daisaku Ikeda founded Soka University, the school established the following founding principles:

1. Be the highest seat of learning for humanistic education.
2. Be the cradle of a new culture.
3. Be a fortress for the peace of humankind.

See also

• Sōka Gakkai
• Daisaku Ikeda
  Daisaku Ikeda
  is president of Sōka Gakkai International , a Nichiren Buddhist lay association which claims 12 million members in 192 countries and territories, and founder of several educational, cultural and peace research institutions.-Life and establishment of SGI:...
  
  
• Soka University of America
  Soka University of America
  Soka University of America is a university located in Aliso Viejo, California, United States. It describes its mission as the fostering of a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life—with an emphasis on principles of pacifism, human rights, and the creative...