About the Institute
Conveying Soka University's founding spirit to future generations, sharing the ideas and practices of Soka Education with the world
The Soka Education Research Institute was renamed the “Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education (IRISE)” and made a fresh start from April 2020. The mission of the institute is to convey Soka University’s founding spirit to future generations, and to share the ideals and practices of Soka Education with the world.
To date, as a center for the study of the ideals and practices of Soka Education, we have organized, collected, and preserved publications and documents related to Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda, the progenitors of Soka Education, as well as Soka University Founder Daisaku Ikeda.
Further, faculty members of the institute have overseen the university subject courses related to Soka Education, in which they examine, together with students, the ideals and founding spirit of Soka Education from an academic perspective. Traditionally, at Soka University, the founding spirit has been passed down through the interaction between faculty members and the student body, as well as in the relationships between seniors and juniors. Based on this spirit, many students and graduates are taking action to contribute to society. At the same time, I feel that it is necessary to discuss the founding spirit and the philosophy of Soka Education from a more academic perspective. Building on these traditions, I hope each student will find his or her own way of life.
Director：Junichi Kanzaka（Faculty of Economics Professor）
I also believe it is necessary to share widely the ideal of global citizenship that has been cultivated within Soka educational institutions. Therefore, from the 2020 academic year, in addition to the Materials Subcommittee that collects, organizes, and stores research materials, and the Research and Education Subcommittee that promotes the systematization of Soka Education and publicizes research results, a third subcommittee will be established. The International Subcommittee will collaborate with research institutions around the world to promote international research on Soka Education.
We have consistently practiced Soka Education with the aim of developing global citizens who can transcend the limits of narrow-minded nationalism. I think this is relevant to the educational ideals of global citizenship that are at the heart of the SDGs. As more societies look inward, I feel it is important that, in accordance with the Founder's strong belief, Soka University fosters global citizens possessing a firm sense of solidarity developed through understanding the difficulties of people in distant places. To that end, IRISE will promote activities that widely inform the world about the significance of the ideals and practices of global citizenship embedded in Soka Education, while deepening collaboration with researchers and educators both within and outside Japan.
CHONABAYASHI Ryo
Associate Professor of the Faculty of Letters
Research Interests
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi's Theory of Value
CONG Xiaobo
Professor of Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education
Research Interests
Daisaku Ikeda's Philosophy of Happiness
HATTORI Minami
Lecturer of School for Excellence in Educational Development
Research Interests
Assessing student learning in global citizenship education
ITO Takao, Deputy Director
Professor of the Faculty of Letters
Leader of the Research and Education Subcommittee
Research Interests
History of Ideas on Soka Education
KANZAKA Junichi, Director
Professor of the Faculty of Economics
Leader of the International Subcommittee
Research Interests
Daisaku Ikeda's Humanism
KUKITA Stephanie Mitsuko
Lecturer of Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education
Research Interests
Soka Education and Global Citizenship Education
GEBERT Andrew
Professor of Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education
Research Interests
Historical research in Tsunesaburo Makiguchi’s thought
SAKAGUCHI Takahiro
Lecturer of Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education
Leader of the Materials Subcommittee
Research Interests
History and Archives of Soka Education
TOMIOKA Hiroko
Professor of the Faculty of Education
Research Interests
Idea and Practice of Soka Education around the World
USHIDA Shinichi
Professor of the Faculty of Education
Research Interests
Teaching Method and Soka Education
WATANABE Tessa Tetsuko
Lecturer of World Language Center
Research Interests
Daisaku Ikeda's Education Proposals
YAMAGAMI Atsushi
Professor of the Faculty of Science and Engineering
Research Interests
Josei Toda's Math Education
| Director | Junichi Kanzaka |
|---|---|
| Staff | Andrew Gebert |
| Hiroko I. Tomioka |
The Center for Ikeda Studies was established in conjunction with the opening of Soka Education Research Institute on April 2, 2006. The purpose of this center is to research worldwide accomplishments of the founder from the perspective of peace, culture and education. We aim to collaborate with other academic institutions, such as A Society for the Research of Daisaku Ikeda in Beijing University in China, which focuses on research about the founder in the world.
| Director | Takao Ito |
|---|---|
| Staff | Shinichi Ushida |
| Stephanie Mitsuko Kukita |
Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education (IRISE) made an agreement for academic cooperation with Center for Dewey Studies in Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, Illinois, USA) to promote cooperation in teaching, scholarship, and research in February 2007. Furthermore, we have come to hold standing research materials and publications in Center for Dewey Studies in USA. We established the Japan branch of "The Center for Dewey Studies" in April 2007, as one of the "Center for Dewey Studies" in the world (USA, Italy, German, and China).
(in Center for Dewey Studies in Southern Illinois University)
History of The Center for Dewey Studies at IRISE
※ Speakers’ job titles are at the time of holding.
| Date | Contents |
|---|---|
| November 8, 2005 | David T. Hansen, Past President of the John Dewey Society and Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, visits Soka Education Research Center |
| November 25, 2005 | Nel Noddings, Past President of the John Dewey Society and Professor Emerita at Stanford University visits Soka Education Research Center |
| June 6, 2006 | Walter Wendler, Chancellor of Southern Illinois University, and Larry A. Hickman, Director of Center for Dewey Studies, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, visit Soka Education Research Institute. |
| October 14, 2006 | Research presentation by institute staff at the 2nd Symposium on Daisaku Ikeda’s Ideals on Peace and Education held at Central China Normal University, China Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and John Dewey Takao Ito, Soka Education Research Institute staff |
| February 20,2007 | Academic exchange agreement signed with the Center for Dewey Studies at Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, Illinois, U.S.). |
| April 2, 2007 | Japan branch of the Center for Dewey Studies established. |
| June 14, 2007 | Soka Education Research Institute Seminar John Dewey and Soka Education Larry A. Hickman, Director of Center for Dewey Studies, Southern Illinois University Carbondale |
| October 25, 2008 | Research presentation by institute staff at the 4th Symposium on Daisaku Ikeda’s Ideals on Peace and Education held at Beijing Normal University, China Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and John Dewey—Focusing on Geography Takao Ito, Soka Education Research Institute staff |
| December 15, 2009 | Presentation by institute staff at The Institute of Oriental Philosophy Conference Issues Concerning the History of the Reception of Dewey’s Idea’s in China Takao Ito, Soka Education Research Institute staff |
| March 26, 2011 | Presentation by institute staff at the DePaul University School of Education and Francis W. Parker School Symposium, "Education for Community and Citizenship Across Language and Culture." Geography of Global Citizens—Dewey, Makiguchi, and Parker Takao Ito, Soka Education Research Institute staff |
| Dec 5, 2016 | Soka Education Research Institute Lecture John Dewey and Soka Education Jason P. Goulah, Associate Professor of Bilingual-Bicultural Education, DePaul University; Director of the Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education, DePaul University |
| Nov 4, 2019 | Soka Education Research Institute Lecture Dewey's Theory of Growth and Active Learning - Impulse, Trial and Error, Communication. Shigeru Yukiyasu, Professor Emeritus of Okayama University, Trustee of the John Dewey Society of Japan |
| December 20, 2020 | Symposium commemorating the 100th anniversary of the publication of "Letters from China and Japan" by John Dewey Takao Ito, Professor in the Faculty of Letters, Soka University; Vice-Director, IRISE Liu Xing, Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University Naoyuki Yamada. Assistant professor, Kobe Women's University Masaki Onuma, Ph.D., Beijing Normal University |
| December 23, 2020 | The 3rd Seminar of IRISE Rethinking John Dewey’s Chinese Experience: Based upon the Items of Dewey Center in Southern Illinois University Liu Xing, Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University |
| December 13, 2021 | Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education (Lecture) Title: John Dewey - The Idea of Living Meliorism Lecturer: Chiharu Fujii (Professor, School of Education and Integrated Science, Waseda University; Director, The Dewey Society of Japan) |
| October 10, 2022 | 1st International Symposium on Global Citizenship Education Theme: Restoring Learning to Daily Living: Global Citizenship and John Dewey Keynote Speakers: Dr. Jim Garrison (Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech University), (Embodying Global Citizenship) Dr. Chiharu Fujii (President, John Dewey Society of Japan), (John Dewey’s Meliorism) Mr. Shigeru Aoyagi (Director, UNESCO Bangkok) (SDGs and Global Citizenship Education) Dr. Masumi H. Odari (Senior Lecturer, Department of Literature, University of Nairobi) (Nurturing Global Citizens Through Teaching Literature) Session: Thought formation of John Dewey: Japanese Perspectives Shigeru Yukiyasu (Okayama University) The Formation of the Thought of J. Dewey and the Process of the Growth of Experience Yoshinobu Nishizono (Naruto University of Education) The Characteristics of Dewey's Theory of Art and Religion and their Commonality as Experience. Takashi Yamamoto (Okayama Prefectural University) How Emerson attracted Dewey from the perspective of “Self-culture” as the Cornerstone of “Inquiry”: Chapter 2 in “The Formation of the Thought of J. Dewey and the Process of the Growth of Experience Session: On John Dewey's "letters from China and Japan" Ito Takao（Soka University, Japan）Experience and philosophy - Dewey's observations on Japan Naoyuki Yamada（Kansai University）John Dewey's view of Japan's budding democracy in 1919 Liu Xing（Hiroshima University）John Dewey and the 1920s of China Masaki Onuma（Beijing Normal University）Exploration of Dewey’s impression on China with his letters |