Soka Gakkai structures its communal life around regular gatherings that integrate faith, study, and shared experience. At the heart of this are small neighborhood discussion meetings, or zadankai, where participants chant together, study key Buddhist principles and guidance, and speak openly about how practice is transforming their daily lives. Alongside these, there are dedicated study meetings that focus more systematically on Nichiren Buddhist teachings and interpretive guidance from Soka Gakkai’s leadership. Chanting or gongyo meetings, centered on the recitation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and portions of the Lotus Sutra, provide a rhythm of collective devotional practice that supports individual inner work.

The organization also develops its members through division-based activities, with meetings for men, women, youth, and children that address the particular challenges and responsibilities of different life stages. These gatherings often include leadership training, life-guidance discussions, and opportunities for young people to cultivate character and a sense of mission. Individual guidance sessions with more experienced practitioners, as well as spaces for setting goals and sharing personal testimonies, further deepen this emphasis on personal transformation grounded in Buddhist faith.

Cultural and educational activities form another important dimension. Soka Gakkai sponsors musical performances, choirs, dance and dramatic presentations, and art or educational exhibitions that highlight themes of peace, culture, and humanistic values. Lectures, seminars, and youth training programs explore Buddhist philosophy and its application to issues such as peace and human dignity, allowing participants to connect inner practice with broader intellectual and ethical concerns. Culture festivals and similar events showcase members’ talents as an expression of the creative potential nurtured through practice.

Finally, there is a strong orientation toward society through community outreach and commemorative gatherings. Members engage in community service, environmental initiatives, and disaster relief efforts, as well as peace forums, symposiums, and interfaith dialogue, thereby seeking to translate inner change into concrete contributions. Annual and commemorative events, including observances of significant dates in the movement’s history and in Nichiren Buddhism, serve as occasions for renewed study, reflection, and shared resolve. Taken together, these varied meetings and activities create a living network in which personal transformation, cultural creativity, and social engagement mutually reinforce one another.