Abstract:
The objective of this research is to comprehend the relation between the religious organization Sōka Gakkai and the political party Kōmeitō .
In the first chapter I will briefly summarize the history of religions in Japan and then I will analyze the foundation of Sōka Gakkai and Kōmeitō.
In the second chapter I will analyze and correlate the social transformation of post-war Japan (urbanization and economic growth) with the development,demographics and future of Sōka Gakkai. I will also put Sōka Gakkai in perspective of the theories of the sociology of religion and in the final chapter I will write about the history and development of Kōmeitō and its policies and alliances, searching for possible points of influence or intersection between the religious organization and
the party.
As a result of my research, we can say that even though Sōka Gakkai's growth has stopped and its demographic is shrinking, it still has a certain importance for Kōmeitō. Nevertheless, the party has sought its independence and has formed an alliance with Jimintō, despite their seemingly divergent political agendas.
