20 MORE religions and faith practices 354

As the militarist authorities tightened their grip on all aspects of life in the promotion of the war effort, they increasingly sought to enforce state-sponsored Shintō practices, center

The Search for Peace in Times of Chaos—Volume 2

Shortly after the publication of the first volume of Š‡›•–‡‘ˆ

ƒŽ—‡Ǧ”‡ƒ–‹‰‡†ƒ‰‘‰› , the so-called “ƒ…Š—”‹ƒ…‹†‡– ” marked the start of Japan’s military incursion into China, leading ultimately to its disastrous involvement in World War II As the militarist authorities tightened their grip on all aspects of life in the promotion of the war effort, they increasingly sought to enforce state-sponsored Shintō practices, centered on the putative “divinity” of the emperor Eventually, the focus of Soka Kyoiku Gakkai began to shift, as Makiguchi came to the conclusion that the practice of Nichiren Buddhism itself could allow each individual to develop their potential within and attain Buddhahood However, Makiguchi’s and Toda’s thinking was in direct conflict with the goals of the state Makiguchi’s religious activities soon attracted the attention of the authorities, and attempts to suppress the movement gathered force

The militarist government began imposing the state Shintō ideology

on the population as a means of glorifying its war of aggression and cracked down on all forms of dissidence Then the Japanese government more rigorously enforced Shintō’s position as the state religion with the enactment of the ‡Ž‹‰‹‘—•”‰ƒ‹œƒ–‹‘•ƒ™‘ˆͳͻ͵ͻ —a move designed

to impose stricter governmental controls over religions and began to demand that all citizens enshrine Shintō talismans in their homes

Makiguchi, Toda, and eighteen other Soka Kyoiku Gakkai members resisted, refusing the talismans For refusing to cooperate with the government by compromising their religious beliefs, the two educators and senior leaders of Soka Kyoiku Gakkai were detained by Japan’s Special Higher Police and were sent to prison in July 1943 Already in his seventies, Makiguchi was subjected to harsh interrogation and extreme hardship as the authorities sought to force him to recant his beliefs Although most

of the imprisoned members of Soka Kyoiku Gakkai did in fact recant, neither Makiguchi nor Toda would yield Makiguchi died of malnutrition and old age in prison in November 1944.6

His closest disciple, Josei Toda, was released from prison in July 1945, just weeks before the end of the war The experience of imprisonment was crucial in awakening Toda to his mission to encourage the widespread practice of Nichiren Buddhism in order to build the foundations for a peaceful society

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Makiguchi, Toda, and eighteen other Soka Kyoiku Gakkai members... the population as a means of glorifying its war of aggression and cracked down on all forms of dissidence Then the Japanese government more rigorously enforced Shintō’s position as the state religion... Buddhism itself could allow each individual to develop their potential within and attain Buddhahood However, Makiguchi’s and Toda’s thinking was in direct conflict with the goals of the state Makiguchi’s