About the Institute
Conveying Soka University's founding spirit to future generations, sharing the ideas and practices of Soka Education with the world
Thank you very much for visiting our website.
The Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education (IRISE) was established with the aim of conducting academic research on Soka Education, a pedagogy developed by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josei Toda, and Daisaku Ikeda, and bringing to light its historical significance and contemporary potential.
Centered on the concept of value creation, this educational philosophy has raised the fundamental question of how value is generated in human life and society. This educational ideology not only forms a distinct lineage in the history of modern Japanese thought but also contains points that warrant examination within the context of contemporary educational theory and social thought post the 20th-century.
Based on the historical study of this educational philosophy, the institute is exploring its significance and potential through dialogue with various academic fields, including pedagogy and the philosophy of education.
Director：Takao Ito
（Professor, Faculty of Letters）
Furthermore, the institute houses "The Center for Dewey Studies." Through comparative research with both domestic and international educational philosophies, we are striving to situate our research subject within a broader context of intellectual history.
Additionally, we are regularly holding symposia on Global Citizenship Education, and through organizing the John Dewey Society of Japan Annual Conference, we were able to provide a forum for academic dialogue on modern educational thought. While engaging in the collection and preservation of materials related to our university’s history, the Institute has also hosted exhibitions on Beethoven and Goethe. These initiatives serve as an exploration of culture from the broad perspective of humanistic history, opening up a space for intellectual exchange where music, literature, philosophy, and cultural history intersect.
Building upon these research foundations, the institute is committed to advancing exchanges with scholars both domestically and internationally, fulfilling its role as a forum for global academic dialogue. Opening up dialogue among diverse perspectives is, in itself, one of the most vital contributions a university can make to society. Through the accumulation of these diverse efforts, I believe it is our institute’s mission to develop the university’s core philosophy of human education within a much broader intellectual context.
CloseCHONABAYASHI 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
GEBERT Andrew
Professor of Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education
Research Interests
Historical research in Tsunesaburo Makiguchi’s thought
ITO Takao, Director
Professor of the Faculty of Letters
Leader of the Research and Education Subcommittee
Research Interests
History of Ideas on Soka Education
IWAKI Yusaku
Lecturer of Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education
Research Interests
Foundational Research on Makiguchi, Toda, and Ikeda
A History of Soka Education Research
KANZAKA Junichi
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
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, Deputy Director
Professor of the Faculty of Education
Research Interests
Idea and Practice of Soka Education around the World
UEYAMA Nobuyuki
Associate Professor of the Faculty of Education
Research Interests
Subject Pedagogy and Soka Education
USHIDA Shinichi, Deputy Director
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
| 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) signed an academic exchange agreement in February 2007, with the Center for Dewey Studies at Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, Illinois, USA), to promote cooperation in education and research. Furthermore, IRISE began to permanently house the journals and publications by the Center for Dewey Studies, Southern Illinois University. In April 2007, the Japan branch of the Center for Dewey Studies was established at Soka University.
(at the Center for Dewey Studies, Southern Illinois University)
History of The Center for Dewey Studies at IRISE
※ The titles and positions are those held at the time of the event.
| 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 |
| September 28 - 29, 2024 |
67th Research Conference, John Dewey Society of Japan（Click here for the website - only in Japanese） Symposium Theme: Individuality, Dialogue, Lifestyle ― Encouraging Children's Growth― Theme of the Project-Based Presentations: Individual Research Presentations took place on 28-29 September, in 6 venues, with 17 presenters. |