池田大作 - Living, Loving, Thinking, Again

池田大作創価学会名誉会長*1の死。享年95歳、老衰であったという。

News Release

Daisaku Ikeda, Honorary President of the Soka Gakkai and President of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), passed away from natural causes at his residence in Shinjuku, Tokyo, on the evening of November 15. He was ninety-five. A funeral has been held with members of his immediate family; the time and date of commemorative services will be announced shortly.

Ikeda was born in Tokyo on January 2, 1928. He was inaugurated as third President of the Soka Gakkai in 1960 and for almost two decades led the lay Buddhist movement in dynamic growth that also saw important international development. He became Soka Gakkai International (SGI) President in 1975 and Soka Gakkai Honorary President in 1979. He is survived by his wife Kaneko and his sons Hiromasa and Takahiro.

Soka Gakkai President Minoru Harada and Mr. Ikeda’s son, Senior Vice President Hiromasa Ikeda, released a video message following the passing of Mr. Ikeda*2. The video is available until midnight (JST) November 30, 2023, and subtitled in various languages. Please use the CC function to select your language.
https://www.sokaglobal.org/#:~:text=At%20a%20Glance%20The%20Soka,for%20the%20dignity%20of%20life.

See also

“Daisaku Ikeda: Influential leader of Japan's Soka Gakkai Buddhist group dies” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67461086
公明党「池田大作名誉会長、逝去」https://www.komei.or.jp/komeinews/p327155/
「【各界反応】池田大作氏が死去創価学会名誉会長 95歳老衰で」https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20231118/k10014262141000.html

NHKの報道には島薗進先生*3のコメントあり；

宗教研究者で東京大学の島薗進名誉教授はNHKの取材に対し、「1つの時代が終わったという印象です。新宗教の発展期を代表するリーダーで影響力の大きい最後の人物だったと思います。創価学会の政治進出は第2代会長のときに始まりましたが、大きな政治勢力に発展していく時代のリーダーで、社会的にも注目されました。池田氏の個人的存在が求心力になっていたので、創価学会が今後宗教団体としてどう活動していくか模索していく中で、1つの転換点になると思います」と話していました。

今回は長らく流布されていた〈池田大作死亡説〉の終焉でもあろう（今度は〈生存説〉が流布される？）；

ゆでたまご屋さん「｢池田大作すでに死んでる説｣が間違いだと言えるこれだけの理由」https://note.com/boiled_egg_shop/n/n406380203255

*2:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeuEI6QxA4s