Biffin Bridge

Daisaku Ikeda Pictured with General NoriegaDaisaku Ikeda, president of Soka Gakkai International (SGI),  has 555 honorary citizenships and holds the most honorary doctorates awarded to a single individual![LISTEN TO PODCAST HERE]Yoshihiro Tsurumi: "The Bush administration,regards democracyin Japan as no different from that of Russia. Both are viewed as'kleptocracies.' On the surface, the political leaders are elected; butthe truth is that they constitute a country completely dominated by theruling party, which is in cahoots with the bureaucrats. Through thedistortions generated by their years of holding onto control and theelection system, they work with pressure groups that support them fortheir own benefits. It is as if the citizens were under domination of agang of robbers." Takayoshi Kitagawa: "While I wouldn't say that Soka Gakkai is seen as a cult, they are a very structured, organized, militarist group that wields immense political power."Takashi Shokei: Ikeda is "[a] power-hungry individual who i