Soka Gakkai is the lay organization of a Buddhist sect which is a branch of Nichiren Buddhism, a form of Buddhism indigenous to Japan and famous for actively, even stridently, seeking to convert outsiders to the faith. The sect was famous in the 1960s for its vigorous proselytizing and it grew very quickly for a time. Since the late 1960s, the sect has grown little within Japan, but has expanded considerably outside the country. The sect has its headquarters at a vast temple located on the slopes of Mt. Fuji. It once wielded great influence through a political arm, the Komeito, and although the two organizations have been formally separated for several decades, they maintain a close relationship.
