Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is a global lay Buddhist network rooted in the Nichiren tradition and established as the international extension of Japan’s Soka Gakkai. It promotes a practice centered on chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, studying Nichiren’s writings, and applying Buddhist principles to daily life. This practice is understood as a path of “human revolution,” an inner transformation through which individuals reveal their Buddha nature and work for peace, culture, and education. The organization emphasizes individual empowerment, the dignity of life, and the potential for every person to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime, without reliance on an ordained clergy.

Structurally, SGI functions as a federation of legally independent national organizations, such as SGI-USA or SGI-UK, coordinated by an umbrella body based in Japan. Each national body is typically registered as a religious or non-profit entity according to local law, and leadership is lay-led, organized in tiers from local districts to regional and national levels. Local activities often take the form of small-group discussion meetings in homes or community centers, where members chant, study Buddhist concepts, and share experiences of practice in daily life. Study materials draw heavily on Nichiren’s writings and the speeches and essays of Daisaku Ikeda, whose guidance provides a unifying doctrinal and ethical framework across countries.

Globally, SGI maintains a shared identity grounded in faith in the Gohonzon, the practice of chanting, and the propagation of Nichiren Buddhism, while allowing adaptation to diverse cultures and legal contexts. Its mode of operation is decentralized in legal and administrative terms yet unified ideologically and spiritually, with growth largely occurring through personal networks and grassroots activities. Cultural festivals, exhibitions, and educational programs are used to foster international solidarity and to express Buddhist values in creative, accessible forms. In this way, SGI’s global presence is less a rigid hierarchy and more a web of interconnected communities animated by a common spiritual aspiration.

Publicly, SGI is known for engagement in peace, human rights, and environmental issues, especially efforts toward nuclear abolition and participation in United Nations-related activities. It holds NGO status at the UN and contributes peace proposals, dialogue projects, and educational initiatives that reflect its conviction that inner transformation and social transformation are inseparable. Through cultural centers, institutes, and various peace-oriented programs, SGI seeks to translate the inner work of chanting and study into concrete contributions to society. Its global operation thus embodies a vision of lay Buddhist practice that moves from the most intimate realm of personal struggle to the broadest concerns of humanity.