A Systematic Multilingual Review of Ikeda's Educational Philosophy and Praxis: Common Principles of Human Education

Abstract

This study presents the first systematic review of Human Education (Ningen kyōiku, in Japanese), a philosophical and pedagogical concept developed by Japanese educator, philosopher, and school founder Daisaku Ikeda (1928–2023). Guided by PRISMA protocols, this multilingual review analyzed 91 full-text studies academically published in Chinese (n=52), English (n=30), Japanese (n=6), Arabic (n=1), Korean (n=1), and Spanish (n=1) between January 2000 and November 2023, selected from an initial pool of 1,438 publications. Using qualitative meta-synthesis, the review identifies key methodologies and thematic clusters present in the literature. Ikeda’s Human Education emerges as a unifying framework for fostering individuals capable of lifelong happiness and value creation within local and global contexts. Eight conceptual clusters were identified, revealing increasing scholarly engagement, particularly within Anglophone and Chinese academic communities. These clusters align closely with contemporary educational imperatives such as global citizenship, sustainable development, dignity of life, and lifelong learning. The review underscores the need for future empirical research to expand the quantitative understanding of Ikeda’s educational legacy.