Daisaku Ikeda President

Daisaku Ikeda (池田大作, Ikeda Daisaku, born January 2, 1928, Japan) is the founder and current president of Soka Gakkai International (SGI), the international offshoot of Soka Gakkai, a Japanese new religious movement informed by the teachings of Nichiren which, according to its own account, has more than 12 million members. In 1996, he was described in a Los Angeles Times article as a "puzzle of conflicting perceptions", ranging from "Japan's most powerful man" and a "threat to democracy", to an "inspired teacher" and "man of deep learning". Ikeda and Soka Gakkai have been the frequent targets of criticism for fostering a cult of personality centered on Ikeda.A period around 2010 when Ikeda was not seen in public led to speculation about his health. In 2011, a newsweekly known for its adversarial relationship with Soka Gakkai reported that he was terminally ill. He was seen accepting an honorary degree and delivering a speech in March 2013.