[Buddha-l] updates and corrections to "upaya express" (topic:Buddhism in contemporary Japan)

[Dan Lusthaus]

As to the Nichiren / Soka Gakkai political party, while John Nelson 
downplays their size, stating

---
This party is named "Komeito" and, though a major political player
because it helped to build and maintain a coalition that was defeated
only last year, did not constitute a "major chunk" of the parliament.
Its elected members are roughly 22 in each of Japan's two levels of
government, with the Upper House having 242 and the Lower House 480
representatives.
---

their own website touts them as Japan's third largest party.

http://www.komei.or.jp/en/

See also
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komeito

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Komeito_Party

John seems only aware of its more recent history, such as
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,549066,00.html

But see
http://countrystudies.us/japan/126.htm

Of interest re: pacifism and war
http://www.rickross.com/reference/gakkai/gakkai20.html


Dan