Can someone tell me something about Soka Gakkai and its involvement in Japanese politics?
549397
Soka Gokkai is a Buddhist peace organization that was founded in 1930. Here is a brief history.\n\n1930 Nov 18 Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda found Soka Kyoiku Gakkai (Value-Creation Education Society), Soka Gakkai's predecessor \nMakiguchi's The System of Value-Creating Pedagogy published \n\n1939 Dec Society holds first general meeting, with some 50 members attending \n\n1941 Jul 20 Society publishes bulletin, Kachi Sozo (Value Creation) \n\n1943 Jul 6 Makiguchi and Toda arrested by the Special Higher Police of the Japanese militarist government on charges of "blasphemy" and violating the Maintenance of the Public Order Act for refusing to follow the state imposed Shinto religion. \n\n1944 Nov 18 Makiguchi dies at the Tokyo Detention House \n1945 Jul 3 Toda released from Tokyo Detention House \n     Aug 15 World War II ends \n\nHunt around their website, and you should get a good idea of what they are involved in.
873930
Japan is generally considered to be a constitutional monarchy. The "highest organ of state power" is its bicameral parliament, the Kokkai or "Diet". The Diet consists of a House of Representatives (Lower House or Shugi-in) containing 480 seats, elected by popular vote every four years, and a House of Councillors (Upper House or Sangi-in) of 247 seats, whose popularly elected members serve six-year terms. There is universal adult (over 20 years old) suffrage with a secret ballot for all elective offices. \n\nThe Cabinet is composed of a Prime Minister and ministers of state, and is responsible to the Diet. The Prime Minister must be a member of the Diet and is designated by his colleagues. The Prime Minister has the power to appoint and remove ministers, a majority of whom must be Diet members. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been in power since 1955, except for a short-lived coalition government formed from its opposition parties in 1993; the largest opposition party is the Democratic Party of Japan\n\n\neverything about japan in this site \n\nhttp://www.wordiq.com/definition/Japan
942557
http://www.iisjapan.com/about_iisj.html\n\nsee the link above
663939
You can ask questions at this site:\n\nhttp://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/culture/culture.html
130961
Try these links. Looks like you might get the information you want.\n\nhttp://www.sg.emb-japan.go.jp/JapanAccess/women.htm\n\nhttp://ssjj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/citation/8/2/320\n(this one requires registration and is not free)
159043
Read this page\n\nhttp://www.soi.wide.ad.jp/soi-asia/pkg1/06/48.html
167037
The link below is a Google search of "Japanese Baseball," but the first couple of links were no longer active. The third provided a ton of other links - happy hunting!
222906
Try these links:\n1. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107666.html\n2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
681368
After a quick search, this seemed the most likely web-site.\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Japanese_relations\n\nI'm sure you know about the situation between Japan & China in the early part of the 20th century, until WWII ended, or if you don't you can look it up fairly easily. The link is about post-war relations.
861504
Tekkan characters who do karate has holds. hahaha. Thats made in Japan.
176291
http://www.nemackarate.org/USA_Goju_Ryu.htm\n\nIs this it?
840260
NO...\n\nAt Japanese shrine, the Netaji is god\n\nTokyo, July 30: At the Renkoji temple here, the Indians and many Japanese who come visiting know of only one god: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. \n\nIn a small patch of green outside the Japanese-style shrine in Suginami residential district is a simple but elegant bust of Bose, who was undoubtedly one of the most popular products of India's independence movement.\n\nAfter his reported death in a plane crash in Taiwan in 1945, an event still shrouded in mystery, his ashes were said to have been brought to the shrine. And over the decades, Renkoji temple has become a pilgrimage point for thousands.\n\nEvery day, someone or the other -- Indians or Japanese or both - make it to the shrine to have a glimpse of the grey colour bust of a bespectacled Bose, wearing his military cap, erected on a platform.\n\nMost visitors stand reverentially before the bust. Some bow their heads, as if praying to god.\n\nClose by, a rectangular black stone with Japanese inscription reads: "Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose: Monument". \n\nThere are also two separate stone plaques on the walls that state that three Indian prime ministers and a president have been to the shrine: Rajendra Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.\n\nThe caretakers of the temple refuse to speak about Bose. But a visitors' diary has several hand-written entries, by bothsIndians and Japanese, eulogising Bose, whose Indian National Army (INA) raised with Japanese help at one point looked set to militarily free India from the British Raj.\n\n"I am very lucky to visit this shrine. Great day for me," states an entry from Pulak Chakravorty of Bangalore.\n\nRana Gupta of Kolkata echoes him: "It is a very lucky day for me."\n\n"This is a great day of my life," adds P. Sharma of Ghaziabad near New Delhi. "At last I could see the place where the brave son of Mother India is sleeping."\n\nSushilkumar Shinde, former Maharashtra chief minister, pays his tribute: "My salute Subhash Babujee, who sacrificed his life for India."\n\nSudha of New Delhi is almost praying: "Please bless us!"\n\nSeveral entries are in Japanese language. Some of the visitors are from countries as far as the US, Chile and Germany.\n\nP.K. Mukherjee from South Korea states: "I am very excited to visit this shrine. We as Indians are proud of Subhash Chandra Bose, the patriot of India."\n\nAbhijit Dasgupta of Kolkata asserts: "I feel so proud to be here. Netaji will remain in our hearts for all time."\n\nSomnath Roy Choudhury, also of Kolkata, adds: "One of the great moments in life, paying respect to the greatest freedom fighter of India."\n\nG. Sanjivi Rajan says: "Our respects and namaskar to this great freedom fighter of India."\n\nSujoy K. Sanyal of Kolkata is emotional: "I feel I have come on a pilgrimage. I feel sad that we, in India, are forgetting about his sacrifices and ideas." Another Kolkata entry simply says: "I am overwhelmed."\n\nAbhijit Desai of Mumbai is all praise for Bose: "Thank you, Netaji, for contributing to India's freedom. You live in our hearts. India is proud of you. Jai Hindi!"\n\nSome have praised the Japanese government for maintaining the Bose bust and for helping to organise annual events commemorating his life and times. \n\nThere is one man, however, who has a different point of view.\n\n"This so called ashes of Netaji is a ... conspiracy," says A. Sinha of Kolkata, echoing the view of those who believe Bose never died in the Taiwan plane crash. "Our greatest hero is immortal... He was a victim of imperialism."
344904
I am a Soka Gakkai International Lotus Sutra buddhist. We believe that everyone can achieve enlightenment and make no distinction between men and women, rich or poor, young or old, class, race or whatever. \n\nThe founder of my path was Nichiren, a 13th-century Japanese fisherman-monk who thought Buddhism should be democratic and not just belong to the rich, the aristocratic or the priests. Everyone can achieve enlightenment, here in this world, and the best thing is you don't have to live multiple lives to erase bad karma and become happy, you can do so now if you take responsibility for your actions! In order to achieve this we chant "nam-myo-ho-renge-kyo", meaning the spiritual and the material work together for the development of the human soul, symbolized by the lotusflower that starts in the dark and mud and then grows towards the light to open as a beautiful flower. Lotus Sutra Buddhism is said to summarize the whole of Buddhist teachings in one path, and Nichiren summarized Lotus Sutra buddhism in the single mantra mentioned above. SGI is a lay movement that believes World Peace can be achieved through culture and education of the Buddhist values of the Soka Gakkai. (Soka Gakkai means: creating value). The lay movement has no temples but we regularly meet at people's homes, share the amazing experiences we have, eat, drink, dance, sing and celebrate! We chant everyday for as long as we like, and we believe that earthly desires fuel our journey towards enlightenment. (for instance, I might want to have a car. So I get a job and work for one, and on the way I realize I work with others and I learn from them, and after that I may realize that four people can fit into a car and we can travel together! And it can be used for something good like taking a sick old lady to the hospital). And after the car I may want something else, and achieve that, too. And so I develop on to become a kinder, greater-hearted human being.)\n\nIn order to keep the intentions of our movement pure and because of some unhappy experiences in the past, SGI-members do not trade amongst each other. Money is something that should be carefully separated from religious practice.  \n\nI don't feel my life is restricted because of my beliefs. Rather, my vision widens because I learn to understand that my life is connected to that of everyone on this planet and to all life, and in this I have a place and a responsibility to develop with courage, wisdom and compassion, to become a fully human being.   \n\nI believe because I know that everyone on this planet is related. Since material circumstances do not show what I believe, I believe that Love is what binds us all as the human race and other inhabitants of this earth (animals as well). Faith is the all-encompassing instrument, field and tool to demonstrate this.\n\nOur philosophy is not opposed to homosexuality. We look at the soul's journey, and whatever state or situation people are in says something about where they are in their development. Since everyone has the enlightenment potential, we respect the soul's individual path. The ultimate goal for everyone is to become happy. We chant to remember and realize this, while working. So: chanting and undertaking action!\n\nNichiren buddhism contains a very important tale: a nine-year old girl approached the Buddha with a small gift for which he granted her immediate enlightenment. She told all the old wise Indian male scholars and disciples who were sitting around him: "Watch me achieve immediate enlightenment" and changed appearance before their eyes. The Buddha did this to teach them humility, for as you know, women were not considered very worthy by men in India in those times (and still are not, in many places).\n\nSince I've grown up in profoundly multi-religious and multi-cultural societies, I see no deep differences among the religions in this world. Just differences according to place, time and culture. \n
192439
http://www.japanguid.com/ is going to help u to find a friend of Japanese. Good luck.
601233
A prince in early Japan, read all about him:\n\nhttp://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/japan/asuka/p-shotoku.html\n\nhere it the info from that link:\n\nPrince Shotoku (574-622 A.D.)\n\nPrince Shotoku is one of the important people in early Japanese history.\n\nAccording to a history book in a school.....\n \n\nPrince Shotoku was a prince in ancient Japan. His real name was "Umayato" which means "door of stable." He was given that name because his mother, Empress Anahobeno-hashinohito, gave birth to him in front of the stable door, thus, his name. He was an intelligent person since he was child. He could listen to what ten people were saying, all speaking at once. \n\nPrince Shotoku's Great Uncle Umako Soga was devoted to Paekche (Kudara) Buddhism. Therefore, it is believed that Prince Umayato was influenced by his Great Uncle and started to learn about Buddhism. However, Prince Umayato was devoted to Koguryo (Koukuri) Buddhism. According to researchers, he learned about Buddhism under two Buddhist priests from Koguryo and Paekche. \n\nSushun, who was the Uncle of Umayato and a brother of Emperor Youmei and Suiko, took over the throne after Emperor Youmei passed away. Since he did not like Umako's despotic behavior, he was assassinated by Umako, who was his uncle. Prince Umayato's aunt became Empress Suiko in 592 A.D. after a competition for the throne between the Soga family and the Mononobe family was settled. \n\nUmayato started to work as a regent and conduct the affairs of state under Empress Suiko. His Great Uncle was Umako Soga, a minister of state. Umako was also Empress Suiko's uncle. Prince Umayato got married to Tojikono-iturame, who was the daughter of Umako. (**In this period, men tended to have more than one wife.**) She gave birth to a son whose name was Prince Yamashiro. However, in 643 A.D., Yamashiro was killed by Iruka Soga, who was a cousin of Yamashiro and a grandson of Umako. An assassination of relatives for the throne was not a rare occurrence in this period. \n\nPrince Shotoku sent the first envoy to Sui Dynasty in China, he established an official rank and a constitution and spread Buddhism. He built two famous temples in Japan, the Shitenno-ji in 593 A.D. and Horyu-ji in 607 A.D. He achieved many things before his death from illness in 622 A.D. \n\n(He was born of emperor Youmei and one of his wive's, Empress Anahobe-hashinohito. He had 4 brothers and one sister. Since successive emperors could have more than one wife in ancient times, the oldest brother of Prince Umayato had a different mother. However, his younger brothers and sister had a different father, who was the oldest brother of Prince Umayato.)\n \nThe official rank was established based on the Chinese and Korean official rank system. The official rank was composed by 12 ranks. Because of the official rank, people not from powerful families could get a high official rank based on allegiance to the country, a talent, and a distinguished service. Also, the official rank was for a generation; therefore, other people also had a chance to get a higher official rank. However, it was not applied to a royal family, the Soga, and local powerful families. Those families maintained a higher official rank.\n \nThe constitution in this period was not like the constitution of present-day Japan. The constitution of the Asuka Period was comprised of 17 articles. The articles outlined acceptable behavior of the people. For example, Article 2 said "worship Buddhism", Article 14 said "Not to be filled with envy at a person's envy" etc. Ideas from Confucianism and Buddhism were combined into the constitution.\n Time Background \n\nDuring the Asuka Period, members of strong families competed with other people from other families and the same family for the throne. Therefore, it was not a rare case that a person assassinated others who were candidates to be the next emperor. Even relatives assassin
720910
In simplest terms - the Japanese mafia.\n\nThe attached link should help.
62086
try here\nhttp://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0774536.html