Sōka University

{{Short description|University in Tokyo, Japan}} {{About|Soka University in Tokyo, Japan|the university located in the United States|Soka University of America}} {{Infobox university | name = Soka University | native_name = {{lang|ja|創価大学}} | latin_name = | image = | image_upright = 1.5 | caption = | motto = Discover Your Potential | established = 1971 | type = Private | endowment = | staff = | faculty = 338 | president = Mika Suzuki | provost = | principal = | rector = | chancellor = | vice_chancellor = | dean = | head_label = | head = | students = 6,046 (as of 1 May, 2025) | undergrad = 5,618 | postgrad = | doctoral = | city = Hachiōji, Tokyo | state = | country = Japan | campus = Suburban | free_label = | free = | colors = {{color box|blue}} Blue {{color box|white}} White | colours = | mascot = Roaring Lion | nickname = | affiliations = ASAIHL | footnotes = | website = {{URL|http://www.soka.ac.jp/en}} | address = 1-236 Tangi-cho, Hachiōji-shi, Tokyo 192-8577, Japan | coor = | logo = Soka University logo.svg | logo_upright = 1.3 }}

{{nihongo|'''Soka University'''|創価大学|Sōka Daigaku|lead=yes}}, abbreviated typically as {{nihongo|'''Sodai'''|創大}} or {{nihongo|'''Sokadai'''|創価大}}, is a Soka Gakkai-affiliated private university in Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan. In 2014, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) designated Soka University as one of the 20 universities in Japan that "are leading the globalization of Japanese society".<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2024 |title=Top Global University Project |url=https://tgu.mext.go.jp/en/about/index.html}}</ref>

According to uniRank, Soka University was ranked 112th in Japan and 2437th in the World in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2024 |title=Soka University Rankings |url=https://www.4icu.org/reviews/2876.htm}}</ref> The university has 8 faculties with 6,046 students (as of May 1, 2025), about 601 of whom are international students from 59 countries and regions .

There are five libraries named Central Library, Fraster Library, Shirakaba Library, Law School Library, and Soka Women's College KAHO Library.

==History== Soka University opened on April 2, 1971, with its graduate school opening in April 1975.<ref>{{Cite web |title=大学の沿革 {{!}} 創価大学 {{!}} Discover your potential 自分力の発見 |url=https://www.soka.ac.jp/about/intro/history/ |access-date=2022-04-14 |website=www.soka.ac.jp |language=ja}}</ref> Since the school's founding, more than 50,000 students have graduated from Soka University.<ref>[http://www.soka.ac.jp/about/philosophy/history/ 大学の沿革創価大学] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216153945/http://www.soka.ac.jp/about/philosophy/history/ |date=2015-02-16 }}</ref>

Soka University of America is a related school founded in 2001, located in Aliso Viejo, California, which offers both graduate and undergraduate degrees.<ref>[http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/PubApps/showVals.php?ft=bmf&ein=953909672 National Center for Charitable Statistics:]</ref>

==Educational philosophy == Soka University's educational philosophy was established by Tsunesaburō Makiguchi, the first president of the Soka Gakkai (then called the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai, or Value-creating Education Society), who had worked as the principal of an elementary school in Japan. Makiguchi published the book "The System of Value-Creating Pedagogy" based on his belief that the purpose of education is the students' happiness, and emphasized humanistic education. This educational philosophy was shared by his successor, Jōsei Toda, who had served as a primary school teacher. Toda's successor, Daisaku Ikeda, describes his goal as carrying out the dreams of Makiguchi and Toda.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ikeda |first=Daisaku |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XPQBBAAAQBAJ&q=Makiguchi+%22purpose+of+education+is%22)&pg=PA87 |title=Soka Education: For the Happiness of the Individual |date=2012-03-01 |publisher=Middleway Press |isbn=978-1-938252-22-8 |language=en}}</ref>

"Soka" is a Japanese term meaning "value creation". In 1971, when Daisaku Ikeda founded Soka University, the school established the following founding principles:

* Be the highest seat of learning for humanistic education. * Be the cradle of a new culture. * Be a fortress for the peace of humankind.

Since 2010, the university has also adopted the official motto {{nihongo|''Discover Your Potential''|自分力の発見}}.

==Organization==

===Faculties [the number of people (as of 21, September)]=== <ref name="Departments">{{cite web |url=https://www.soka.ac.jp/en/department/|title=Undergraduate Programs and Graduate Schools|date=29 March 2024 |publisher=Soka University}}</ref> * Faculty of Economics [637] ** Department of Economics * Faculty of Business Administration [892] ** Department of Business Administration * Faculty of Law [771] ** Department of Law * Faculty of Nursing [314] ** Department of Nursing * Faculty of Science and Engineering [643] ** Department of Information System Engineering ** Department of Science and Engineering for Sustainable Innovation * Faculty of International Liberal Arts [351] **Department of International Liberal Arts * Faculty of Letters [1,284] ** Department of Humanities * Faculty of Education [726] ** Department of Education ** Department of Primary Education

===Graduate schools===

* Economics [21]

* Law [21] * Letters [84] * Education [18] * International Peace Studies [24] * Science and Engineering [185]

===Honors Program=== * Global Citizenship Program (GCP) * School for Excellence in Educational Development (SEED) * Language Education

===Research institutes=== * Institute of Oriental Philosophy

==Honorary doctorates== [[File:Soka University Conferred Honorary Doctorate Upon Muhammad Yunus 2025-05-30 PID 2025-09-05 (PID-0001612).jpg|thumb|Soka University awarded an honorary doctorate to Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus in 2025.]] As of 2015, Soka University had awarded 365 honorary doctorates and honorary professorships, primarily to international figures in academia and culture.<ref name=DocList>{{cite web|title=名誉博士・名誉教授等の名誉学術称号|url=http://www.soka.ac.jp/about/philosophy/founder/honor/|publisher=Sōka University|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211111614/http://www.soka.ac.jp/about/philosophy/founder/honor/#jp-/about/philosophy/founder/honor/|archive-date=2013-12-11|date=November 22, 2013}}</ref> In April 1993, Mikhail Gorbachev traveled to Tokyo together with his wife Raisa to receive an honorary doctorate from Soka University in recognition of his efforts for world peace. A cherry tree was planted at the university in their honor during their visit.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gorbachev|url=http://www.daisakuikeda.org/sub/news/2007/jun/DI_070611gorbachev.html|access-date=23 October 2015|work=Seikyo Shimbun |date=June 12, 2007}}</ref> Rosa Parks visited Soka University in 1994 to deliver a lecture, and was bestowed an honorary doctorate at that time for her contributions to civil rights.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rosa Parks Biography|url=http://www.rosaparks.org/biography/|access-date=23 October 2015|work=Rosa Parks Foundation|date=January 22, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Rosa Parks Speaks at Soka University|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/2015647350/ |access-date=23 October 2015|work=United States Library of Congress|date=March 16, 2000}}</ref> When Nelson Mandela visited Soka University in 1995, he was awarded an honorary doctorate for his lifelong work to promote human rights.<ref>{{cite web|title=Honorary degrees of Nelson Mandela|url=http://db.nelsonmandela.org/tributes_new/pub_view.asp?pg=results&opt=guided1&strGenre=Honorary%20doctorates|access-date=23 October 2015|work=Nelson Mandela Institute|date=May 11, 1996}}</ref> In 1996, the university awarded an honorary doctorate to Fidel Castro in recognition of his efforts to establish exemplary health care and education systems for his nation's people.<ref>{{cite news|title=Carnet|url=http://www.lepoint.fr/actualites-societe/1996-06-29/carnet/920/0/104927|access-date=10 August 2014|work=Le Point|date=June 26, 1996}}</ref> In 2008, an honorary doctorate was awarded to a professor at Moscow State University, Mihail Sokolov, a medical robotics scientist.

==Soka Women's College== {{Infobox university | name = Soka Women's College | native_name = {{lang|ja|創価女子短期大学}} | established = 1985 | closed = | type = Private women's junior college | city = Hachiōji, Tokyo | country = Japan | website = {{URL|http://www.soka.ac.jp/swc/}} }}

Soka University shares its campus in Hachiōji, Tokyo, with {{nihongo|Sōka Women's College|創価女子短期大学|Sōka Joshi Tanki Daigaku}}, an affiliated private junior college that was founded on April 2, 1985.<ref name="Sokan1986">{{cite book |title=昭和61年度版「全国学校総覧」 |page=56 |year=1986 |publisher=原書房}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.soka.ac.jp/en/ Soka University of Japan] (English portal) *[http://www.soka.ac.jp/swc Sōka Women's College] {{in lang|ja}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soka University (Japan)}} Category:Sōka University Category:Super Global Universities Category:Private universities and colleges in Japan Category:Buddhist universities and colleges in Japan Category:Junior colleges in Japan Category:Universities and colleges established in 1971 Category:1971 establishments in Japan Category:Soka Gakkai Category:Universities and colleges in Tokyo