IRISE provided materials for former Soka University President, Prof. Masashi Suzuki’s book “A Deductive Guide to Arithmetic and Soka Education”
IRISE provided images from its collection for the newly published book, A Deductive Guide to Arithmetic and Soka Education (Suiri-shiki Shidō Sanjutsu). Published on September 8, the book was authored by former President and the Faculty of Education Professor Masashi Suzuki, an expert in mathematics education.
The book introduces and explains the charms of the study guide A Deductive Guide to Arithmetic, published by a young Josei Toda in 1930, and along with introducing the happenings of his youth and the situation at the time, it provides explanations for over 100 mathematical problems. The book not only mentions the history of Soka Education, but also helps in acquiring mathematical skills.
In 1923, Mr. Josei Toda, also the mentor of Soka University founder Mr. Daisaku Ikeda, established a cram school, later known as Jishu Gakkan. The book was published as a compilation of the materials used at the cram school, and has sold more than 1 million copies.
Furthermore, the spine of the book is labeled "Based on the Principles of Soka Pedagogy," suggesting that all of Mr. Toda's private tutoring and publications were entirely dedicated to preserving and handing down the Soka Education theory proposed by Mr. Makiguchi.
On November 18 of the same year, Soka Kyoikugaku Taikei (The System of Value-Creating Pedagogy), a compilation of Makiguchi’s educational theories, was published with the financial support of Mr. Toda.
Replicas of this book, other reference books, educational journals, and study magazines published by Mr. Toda, who inherited Mr. Makiguchi’s fundamental spirit of “education for children,” are displayed at the ongoing exhibition in the Central Tower of Soka University.
The "Afterword" of the book authored by Prof. Suzuki includes an acknowledgement of the resources provided, stating that "many documents from the Ikeda Research Institute for Soka Education (IRISE) were referenced in writing this book."
