# Sōka University

> university

**Wikidata**: [Q1306915](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1306915)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sōka_University)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/soka-university

## Summary
Sōka University is a private academic institution and academic publisher located in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 1971 by Daisaku Ikeda. Affiliated with the Soka Gakkai worldview, the university serves as a center for higher education and research, operating under the Japanese Ministry of Education code F113310103885. It maintains a significant digital presence and hosts a diverse community of notable alumni in fields ranging from sports to politics.

## Key Facts
*   **Inception:** The university was established in 1971.
*   **Founder:** Daisaku Ikeda (1928–2023), a Japanese Buddhist leader, founded the institution.
*   **Location:** Situated in Tokyo, Japan, with coordinates at latitude 35.68768333 and longitude 139.32876667.
*   **Worldview:** The institution is affiliated with the Soka Gakkai religion or worldview.
*   **Official Website:** https://www.soka.ac.jp/ (primary language: Japanese).
*   **Identification Codes:**
    *   MEXT School Code: F113310103885
    *   Japan University Identification Code: 2085
    *   ROR ID: 003qdfg20
    *   GRID ID: grid.412664.3
    *   Ringgold ID: 2116
    *   ISNI: 0000000102840976
    *   VIAF ID: 153540420
    *   GND ID: 1085836266
    *   Library of Congress Authority ID: n81073707
    *   NDL Authority ID: 00302884
    *   BnF ID: 12516407g
    *   IdRef ID: 034405232
    *   NACSI Cat Author ID: DA01613151
    *   CINII Research ID: 1140282266669330560
    *   HKCAN ID: 9811111809203406
    *   National Library of Israel J9U ID: 987007459482405171
    *   KISTI ID: K000201908
*   **Social Media Handles:**
    *   Twitter: @soka_univ (active since 2010-02-08; 28,942 followers as of 2023-02-04).
    *   Facebook: sokauniversity.
    *   Instagram: sokauniversity.
*   **Aliases:** Sōka Daigaku, Université Sôka, Université Soka, Universite Soka, Soka-Universität, 創大，创价大学.
*   **Native Label:** 創価大学 (pronounced: そうかだいがく; romanized: Sōka Daigaku).
*   **Satellite Project:** Owned/operated the former Japanese student satellite "Negai ☆".
*   **Wikipedia Presence:** Available in 15 languages (Arabic, Aragonese, Bengali, German, English, Spanish, Persian, French, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Russian, Thai, Chinese).
*   **Categories:** Main category is "Category:Sōka University"; Alumni category is "Category:Sōka University alumni".

## FAQs
**Who founded Sōka University and when did it open?**
The university was founded in 1971 by Daisaku Ikeda, a prominent Japanese Buddhist leader who lived from 1928 to 2023. Ikeda established the institution to further his educational and philosophical vision within the Soka Gakkai movement.

**Where is the university located and how can it be contacted online?**
Sōka University is located in Tokyo, Japan, at specific coordinates of 35.68768333° N, 139.32876667° E. Its primary digital contact point is the official website at https://www.soka.ac.jp/, and it maintains active social media profiles on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram under the handle "sokauniversity" or "soka_univ".

**What unique projects or assets has the university operated?**
Beyond traditional academics, the university operated "Negai ☆", a former Japanese student satellite project. This demonstrates the institution's engagement in space-related educational initiatives and student-led engineering projects.

**Which notable individuals are associated with Sōka University?**
The university is linked to a wide array of distinguished figures, including politician Michiyo Takagi, baseball players Shuhei Takada and Takahide Ikeda, and peace scholar Johan Galtung. It also connects to researchers like Kiyoko F Aoki-Kinoshita and entertainers such as actress Yōko Honna.

**How is the university identified in international and Japanese academic databases?**
The institution is recognized by numerous global and local identifiers, including the ROR ID 003qdfg20, GRID ID grid.412664.3, and the Japanese MEXT school code F113310103885. It holds authority records in the Library of Congress (n81073707), the National Diet Library (00302884), and the French National Library (12516407g).

## Why It Matters
Sōka University represents a significant intersection of higher education, Buddhist philosophy, and global citizenship, serving as a tangible manifestation of the Soka Gakkai worldview. Its establishment in 1971 by Daisaku Ikeda provided a dedicated academic platform for fostering peace, culture, and education, distinguishing it from secular institutions through its specific philosophical foundation. The university's impact extends beyond Japan, evidenced by its international alumni network, multilingual Wikipedia presence, and participation in global academic publishing as both an institution and a publisher. By operating unique projects like the "Negai ☆" satellite, it challenges the traditional boundaries of university capabilities, encouraging student innovation in high-tech fields. Its extensive network of identifiers and affiliations with major libraries and research databases underscores its legitimacy and integration into the global academic ecosystem.

## Notable For
*   **Founding Vision:** Established by Daisaku Ikeda, a globally recognized Buddhist leader and philosopher, linking the institution directly to the Soka Gakkai movement.
*   **Space Education:** Operated "Negai ☆", a student satellite project, highlighting a commitment to advanced STEM education and space exploration.
*   **Diverse Alumni Network:** Produces graduates across disparate fields, including professional baseball (Shuhei Takada, Tomoya Yagi), politics (Michiyo Takagi, Toshiko Takeya), and international peace studies (Johan Galtung).
*   **Academic Publishing:** Functions not only as a university but also as an academic publisher, contributing to scholarly discourse.
*   **Global Digital Footprint:** Maintains a robust online presence with verified social media accounts and listings in 15 different language versions of Wikipedia.
*   **Comprehensive Identification:** Holds a rare density of authority IDs (ISNI, GND, VIAF, LCCN, NDL, etc.), ensuring precise cataloging in international library systems.
*   **Philosophical Affiliation:** Explicitly tied to the Soka Gakkai religion or worldview, shaping its curriculum and institutional culture.

## Body

### Institutional Identity and Classification
Sōka University is classified as a university and an academic publisher. It is an academic institution designed for further education, with a sitelink count of 206 indicating its broad recognition. The institution's native label is 創価大学，which is romanized as Sōka Daigaku and pronounced "sōka daigaku." It is also known by various aliases including Université Sôka, Université Soka, Universite Soka, Soka-Universität, 創大，and 创价大学. The university's primary topic category is "Category:Sōka University," and it has a dedicated category for its alumni, "Category:Sōka University alumni." It is listed on the focus list of the Wikidata WikiProject Academic Publisher, highlighting its dual role in education and publishing.

### History and Founding
The university was founded in 1971. Its founder was Daisaku Ikeda, a Japanese Buddhist leader who lived from 1928 to 2023. Ikeda's citizenship included Japan and the United States, and his occupations spanned Buddhist leader, writer, and philosopher. The university's inception is distinct from the broader history of Japan, which has multiple inception dates depending on the context (e.g., -0660 for the imperial year, 1890 for the Empire's Constitution, and 1947 for the current Constitution). Sōka University's specific founding year of 1971 places it in the post-war era of Japanese educational expansion.

### Location and Geography
The institution is located in Tokyo, the capital and largest city of Japan, which itself was established as the capital on 1868-09-06. The university's specific coordinates are latitude 35.68768333 and longitude 139.32876667. It is situated in the country of Japan, an island nation in East Asia. The location data is referenced from , confirming its placement within the Japanese capital region.

### Affiliations and Worldview
Sōka University is affiliated with the Soka Gakkai religion or worldview. This affiliation influences its educational philosophy and institutional mission. The university is also associated with notable individuals who share connections to the institution. These include:
*   **Kiyoko F Aoki-Kinoshita:** A researcher born in 2000 (with a reference to 1973 in some contexts), who is a computer scientist and university teacher holding citizenship in the United States.
*   **Shozo Yoshigami:** A Japanese translator and citizen of Japan.
*   **Shuhei Takada:** A baseball player and Japanese citizen.
*   **Nobuaki Yanagida:** A Japanese association football player and manager.
*   **Michiyo Takagi:** A Japanese politician.
*   **Mitsushiro Obara:** A Japanese association football player.
*   **Takayuki Tateishi:** A Japanese association football player.
*   **Takahide Ikeda:** A baseball player born in 1994.
*   **Johan Galtung:** A Norwegian sociologist and peace scholar, known for his work in peace studies.
*   **Tomoya Yagi:** A baseball player.
*   **Yōko Honna:** A Japanese actress and voice actress.
*   **Yutaka Otsuka:** A Japanese baseball player.
*   **Yasuhiro Ogawa:** A Japanese baseball player.
*   **Shūta Ishikawa:** A Japanese professional baseball player.
*   **Toshiko Takeya:** A Japanese politician.

### Digital Presence and Social Media
The university maintains an active digital footprint across multiple platforms. Its official website is https://www.soka.ac.jp/, which is primarily in Japanese. Social media engagement includes:
*   **Twitter:** The handle is @soka_univ. The account started on 2010-02-08. Follower counts have been tracked over time: 19,565 (2020-04-24), 22,243 (2021-01-02), 26,271 (2022-03-01), and a preferred count of 28,942 as of 2023-02-04.
*   **Facebook:** The page is named "sokauniversity."
*   **Instagram:** The handle is "sokauniversity."
These social media accounts were referenced with archive links from 2006, indicating a long-standing digital history.

### Technical Identifiers and Authority Records
Sōka University is meticulously cataloged in global and national databases with the following identifiers:
*   **ISNI:** 0000000102840976
*   **GND ID:** 1085836266 (via VIAF 153540420)
*   **ROR ID:** 003qdfg20
*   **GRID ID:** grid.412664.3
*   **Ringgold ID:** 2116
*   **VIAF ID:** 153540420
*   **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n81073707
*   **National Diet Library (NDL) Authority ID:** 00302884
*   **Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) ID:** 12516407g
*   **IdRef ID:** 034405232
*   **NACSI Cat Author ID:** DA01613151
*   **CINII Research ID:** 1140282266669330560
*   **HKCAN ID:** 9811111809203406
*   **National Library of Israel J9U ID:** 987007459482405171
*   **KISTI ID:** K000201908
*   **Freebase ID:** /m/03gq8px
*   **Namuwiki ID:** 소카대학
*   **Niconicopedia ID:** 創価大学
*   **Japan Search Name ID:** 創価大学
*   **MEXT School Code:** F113310103885
*   **Identification Code for Japanese Universities and Colleges:** 2085 (Reference: X0408)

### Projects and Assets
A unique asset associated with the university is "Negai ☆", a former Japanese student satellite. This project highlights the university's involvement in aerospace education and student-led engineering initiatives. The satellite is listed as a "Thing" owned or operated by the university, with a sitelink count of 4.

### Media and Documentation
The university has a dedicated image file on Wikimedia Commons: "Soka_University_Founders_Hall.jpg". It is categorized under "Soka University" on Commons. The institution has a Wikipedia title "Sōka University" and is available in 15 languages: Arabic, Aragonese, Bengali, German, English, Spanish, Persian, French, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Russian, Thai, and Chinese. The sitelink count for the university entity is 15, reflecting its presence across these language editions.

## References

1. GRID Release 2017-01-10
2. Japan Search
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. CiNii Research
5. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
6. [Source](http://www.soka.ac.jp/)
7. GRID Release 2015-12-14
8. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
9. [2004](http://kikakurui.com/x0/X0408-2004-01.html)
10. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File