Daisaku Ikeda (Ikeda Daisaku, born January 2, 1928, Japan) is the current president and founder of Soka Gakkai International (SGI), the international offshoot of Soka Gakkai, a Nichiren Buddhist lay association which has, by its own account, more than 12 million members. In 1996, he was described in a Los Angeles Times article as a "puzzle of conflicting perceptions", ranging from "Japan's most powerful man" and a "threat to democracy", to an "inspired teacher" and "man of deep learning". Ikeda and Soka Gakkai have been the frequent targets of criticism for fostering a cult of personality centered around Ikeda.