Tsunesaburo Makiguchi

President Makiguchi with his wife.

An early pre-World War II photo of the Soka Kyoku Gakkai. Mr. Makiguchi is at first row, center.

"What then is the purpose of national education? Rather than devise complex theoretical interpretations, it is better to start by looking to the lovely child who sits on your knee and ask yourself: What can I do to  assure that this child will be able to lead the happiest life possible?" ––Tsunesaburo Makiguchi

Josei Toda (left) and his mentor Tsunesaburo Makiguchi (seated) in an undated photo. "One must not be satisfied with passive goodness;  one must be a person  of courage and mettle  who can actively strive for good." ––Tsunesaburo Makiguchi

Makiguchi on the Web:

To learn about the life of Makiguchi and how he founded the Soka Kyoku Gakkai, go to http://www.sgi-usa.org/thesgiusa/aboutsgi/makiguchi.html.

A paper by Daisaku Ikeda entitled "John Dewey and Tsunesaburo Makiguchi: Confluences of Thought and Action" may be found at http://www.siu.edu/~deweyctr/makiguchi.html, which is the Center for Dewey Studies website.

At the Encyclopaedia of Philosophy of Education website, http://www.educacao.pro.br/tsunesaburo.htm, there is a scholarly paper about Makiguchi's theories on education.

An article about the Brazilian "Makiguchi Project in Action –– Enhancing Education for Peace" is available at http://www.educacao.pro.br/makiguchi.htm.