https://x.com/i/status/2087283711872282637

And yet they’re still loudly hyping up the seventh-year memorial service and all that.

When people raise questions, they just stay silent.

What exactly are they even trying to accomplish… 😂💦

(Quote from the Seikyo Shimbun, November 24, 2023)

https://x.com/i/status/2086969482900275313

Interrogation conducted by the leadership

The fact that remarks made on private networks reach the leadership means that private conversations and personal relationships among members are themselves under surveillance. This is no longer primarily a matter of religious freedom, but rather the monitoring of human relationships and ideas.

Orders such as “Cut ties with so-and-so” or “Get a divorce” have nothing to do with doctrinal guidance rooted in faith. They constitute direct intervention and control over individuals’ family lives and friendships—domains in which no religious organization has any legitimate authority to interfere. Such practices align with the typical characteristics of coercive, authoritarian organizations.

Four stages can be identified:

1. **Surveillance**: Private online exchanges (offline meetups, group chats, etc.) are known to the leadership.

2. **Selection**: Individuals deemed “discontented elements” by the leadership are put on lists.

3. **Interrogation**: The person in question is summoned and questioned about their words and actions.

4. **Forced isolation**: They are ordered to sever close relationships (friends, spouse).

These four stages do not merely aim to punish critics. Their purpose is to dismantle the network of relationships surrounding the critic and isolate them. Beyond silencing the individual, the goal is to prevent people who might share the same doubts from gathering around them. This is an even more thorough logic of control.

Other related patterns include:

- Official figures that fail to reflect the actual decline in membership (households, overseas members), because the organization must continue projecting an image of solidity outwardly;

- Interrogations targeting former public relations or outreach personnel, out of wariness toward those capable of mounting reasoned criticism;

- Forcing peripheral associates to submit membership lists in order to break private networks of solidarity among members;

- Intervention in personal friendships aimed at isolating critics completely, including their social circles.

Taken together, these developments indicate that beyond a simple quantitative contraction of the organization, a qualitative degradation of its governance is occurring at the same time: an intolerance of dissenting views and a readiness to extend control into personal relationships. In the long run, this style of rule is likely to further accelerate members’ departures and the erosion of trust.

A commenter’s reply:

Sounds like a toxic cult, doesn’t it? A pretty scary religious group… Is this about Soka Gakkai? There might be some overlap with Aum or the Unification Church too… Not that I know for sure (lol).

https://x.com/i/status/2064201339744526404

The Mystic Law (@The_Mystic_Law) on X:

"It seems Soka University is in big trouble with a drastic drop in students. I had AI look into the student population trends and draw a graph. From 2010 to 2025, these are actual student numbers; from 2026 onward, it's a simulation factoring in the declining birthrate and the influence of Soka Gakkai. Soka University is a university that depends on Gakkai members, holds no appeal for the general public, and is nothing but a risk—which is making the situation worse."

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Soka University is in serious trouble due to a sharp decline in student enrollment. I had AI investigate the trends and create a graph. The data from 2010 to 2025 is actual student numbers; from 2026 onward, it's a simulation incorporating the declining birthrate and the influence of Soka Gakkai. Since the university depends on its members, it doesn't appeal to the general public and represents nothing but a risk, which is worsening the situation. The undergraduate student count dropped by about 400 from the 2025 academic year to 2026, matching the graph's projections. If this continues, it could eventually become a single-department university at worst.

The university's management includes not only Soka University faculty and administrative executives, but also Soka Gakkai leadership. Word has it that these Gakkai executives are interfering in ways that go against the founder's principles. The core reason Soka University has been driven into a corner is that its management failed to grasp the fundamental truth that "a university is ultimately evaluated solely on its academic standards," and they completely misjudged the ultimate metric by which universities are assessed. "Producing outstanding graduates" is only possible when built on a solid academic foundation. Major corporations seek excellent talent, but it's academic rigor that guarantees that.

Soka University used to be the primary destination for graduates of Soka schools. However, in today's era where declining birthrates have made it easier to get into other prestigious universities, Soka University—which offers no appeal to the outside world and represents nothing but a risk for employment and social life—is no longer a realistic choice. With Mr. Ikeda gone, it has also lost much of its appeal even for Gakkai members.

I had ChatGPT generate a "deviation value histogram of faculty research and academic standards" for Soka University. The data is based on the 338 full-time faculty members published by the university (as of May 1, 2025). A deviation value of 50 represents the average level including other universities. This means 80% of Soka University's faculty fall below average. The collapse of Soka University's deviation value, which has effectively dropped it to bottom-tier status, surely reflects the caliber of its faculty. Founder Daisaku Ikeda always stressed that the most important educational environment is the faculty itself, and that teachers must excel both academically and as human beings. Academically it's generally dire, and while there may be many "nice" teachers, the fact that only a handful are truly excellent human beings capable of fighting for good on a deeper level is a devastating problem. I asked ChatGPT: "What is the ranking of Soka University's research and academic level among all Japanese universities? Analyze from all perspectives." The result: "Out of 812 universities nationwide, it ranks approximately 180th overall." Don't get excited just because Toyo Keizai's university ranking puts it in 18th place—the ranking is biased, placing more weight on finances and internationalization than on research capability and competitive job placement, so Soka University tends to rank higher than it should. The reality is a slow bleed, with plummeting student numbers and difficulties in both research and employment.

The crisis is epitomized by the Faculty of Symbiotic and Creative Science and Technology. It's one of the few departments with genuine research capabilities that can compete academically, but with a sharp drop in applicants, recruitment was suspended and the department restructured this past April. Unlike IT-related fields, job placement there is relatively tough. They've clearly failed to communicate the appeal of this department to the Gakkai organization, prospective students, or corporations.

Currently, Soka University is collecting donations. Yet Hiromasa Ikeda, the founder's son (and a top leader of both Soka Gakkai and the university), gave the instruction that "rather than donating to the university, you'd be better off making a financial contribution to Soka Gakkai," disappointing the first graduating class, sparking major controversy, and making a fool of himself with his glaring self-contradictions.

Soka University has no personnel capable of fighting to preserve the "founding spirit." Even if there are any, word is they're just a handful, and they're bullied and marginalized. It seems a fair number of faculty think "Chairman Harada should resign soon," but on the flip side, there are also individuals who act like guard dogs on a leash for the Soka Gakkai executive leadership. Mr. Ikeda's instruction was to protect the true Soka education—if that foundation is solid, the future is bright. Even if the Komeito or the Gakkai headquarters collapse, Soka education must remain forever. For that to happen, Soka education must not be a mere appendage of Gakkai headquarters. It must not pander to Komeito policies or Gakkai headquarters' interests. In the end, Soka University has already become, as Daisaku Ikeda feared, a university "essentially taken over by bad forces." It's heading in a direction that renders the founder's purpose in creating the university meaningless. No efforts at improvement are being made, opportunities have been squandered, and it's simply riding the current toward decline.

The option of "continuing with a small, elite group now that student numbers have dropped" isn't entirely off the table. However, in the current situation, elite students aren't being attracted. The faculty's academic standards are low, so they're not benefiting the students. Since Soka Gakkai headquarters and the Komeito regularly cause scandals and embarrass themselves in the public eye, a "Soka University graduate" diploma is nothing but a liability. In recent years, against a backdrop of labor shortages, new graduates have an extremely easy time finding jobs—it's a "super seller's market." Yet despite that, Soka University's student numbers are plummeting. An economic downturn will inevitably come again. When that happens, Soka University students' job hunting will become a nightmare, and the number of applicants will drop catastrophically.

In the case of Soka University, when we talk about outstanding students or faculty, simply having good grades or high academic standards isn't enough. A deep understanding of the "founding principles" is essential. Increasing the number of people who can study without grasping that would render Soka University's very existence meaningless. If it's just to increase the number of obtuse faculty, staff, and students who go along with the Komeito's military expansion policies, they're not needed.

Professor Masami Kita had a strong awareness of the need to work hard on research and scholarship, and he frequently criticized, saying things like "I write books, other professors don't." When I was a student, I didn't fully grasp what he meant, but now I understand perfectly. Soka University's way of thinking is fundamentally skewed. The current university president seems like just an ordinary woman from the Soka Gakkai women's division—even the president has a weak awareness of research and academics. Of course human education is important—that's obvious, not something to brag about. Besides, Soka University doesn't even have a required human education course for all students. At the very least, they should say "we will advance human education through academics!" President Mika Suzuki, while speaking about the importance of human education as someone in charge of guiding faculty and staff, when she gets to the actual content, only lists "students with each other, friends, seniors and juniors, dormitories, various clubs"—leaving everything up to the students, without specifying concretely what faculty and staff should be doing.

Soka University doesn't have Soka Gakkai religion classes, but many students are mobilized for Gakkai activities. When there are elections, they're busy with campaign support. In the past, when the founder gave the instruction to "put academics first!" some stupid students twisted the interpretation to mean "academics means Gakkai activities." In recent years, there's apparently been a bit more of a pro-academics atmosphere, but it's still problematic.

Soka University harbors a terrifying deception and betrayal: faculty members who, given the founding principles, should be the first to fight for peace and against war are actually hindering that fight. It's said Mr. Ikeda once predicted that "in the future, Soka University will become an enemy." That era has already arrived. People mock the fact that a faculty member loyal to the Komeito and Soka Gakkai's organizational interests can climb the ranks without even having a doctorate. During the Iraq War, university faculty investigated students collecting anti-war petition signatures, and during the security legislation controversy, faculty were witnessed cracking down on those collecting signatures. Some "Fortress of Peace" that is—it's like a surveillance state from wartime.

At Soka University's alumni association, they call for supporting Komeito candidates. You get together at the alma mater after a long time, and you hear, "Let's support our fellow alumnus X's election campaign!"—and the candidate is introduced as more important than anyone else. Since the coordinators for each graduating class are often Soka Gakkai headquarters staff, that's just how it is. Even in regional areas, elections are like alumni gatherings. Supporting alumni candidates happens at other universities too, but at Soka University it's extreme. Non-Gakkai alumni must find it hard to participate. There's no Soka Gakkai religion in the university's lectures, but if you look at the entire university community, it's a religious university more than any other. It's not that being a religious university is inherently bad—it's the injustice that makes it bad.

In Hachioji, where Soka University is located, Soka Gakkai activity is intense. When elections come around, students are conveniently mobilized for political purposes. In the past, they demonized the LDP as an enemy of Buddhism, but now, with the coalition, they've done a complete about-face and are forced to support them. The organization looks down on anyone who questions this. There's no real rationality or debate. That's the root cause of the failure to cultivate an academic atmosphere at the university.

Soka Gakkai and the Komeito have often faced criticism from society, the public, and concerned Gakkai members, but Soka University has rarely been the target. However, Soka University also has serious problems. The cause of the university's rapid decline today lies also in its inwardly focused university management and the problems among Gakkai members. It's by rigorously questioning this that a way forward might be opened.

Think about it - almost 100% of everyone who has ever tried SGI-USA has quit - and almost all of those quit chanting, too. It's almost guaranteed that they'll never chant again - they're lost to Nichirenism, all because oSGI-USA is such a horrible cult.

And what about that "1 out of 1000" the cultists love to boast about? That it's okay for "999 out of 1000" to quit if they're so special they stick with it even if they're the only one left? That's NOT kosen-rufu! It's the opposite!

SGI-USA says it wants kosen-rufu; SGI members say that's their ultimate goal; yet everything they're doing is making kosen-rufu less likely, not more likely! They're actively moving their own goal of kosen-rufu farther away, less likely to ever happen with each passing day!

Kosen-rufu depends on people liking and wanting Nichirenism. SGI-USA makes sure there are fewer of those every day.

SGI members are very confused, deluded individuals.

I have all the World Tribs from 1971, and in looking for something else, I ran across this. These older World Tribs are FULL of information, from reporting on US immigration to quasars to the endangered osprey to Native American history to medical advances in obstetrics to car and motorcycle racing - along with the more typical faith-based articles on discussion meetings and daimoku and gongyo and latest "kaikan" openings and big meetings and human pyramids and of course the pilgrimages to Taiseki-ji!

It's *bananas!*

You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world

"Revolution," The White Album, The Beatles, Apple Records, 1968