Daisaku Ikeda was born in Japan. He is the founder and current president of Soka Gakkai International (SGI). It is an international offshoot of Soka Gakkai, a Nichiren Buddhist association which has more than 12 million members.

In 1996, he was referred to as “puzzle of conflicting perceptions”. Some even named him the most powerful man in Japan, while others openly said that he represents a threat to democracy.

However, most of his followers regard him as an inspired teacher and a man of deep learning. Ikeda and Soka Gakkai have been the frequent targets of criticism for fostering a cult of personality centered around Ikeda.