| DATES |
EVENTS |
| Mar 1963 |
Then Nichiren Shoshu Study Department Chief Nikken Abe makes his first trip to the United States, for religious purposes. |
| Nov 1991 |
Nikken Abe, by now the high priest of the Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist sect, excommunicates Soka Gakkai and its international organizations. |
| Jun 1992 |
Soka Shimpo, a Soka Gakkai newspaper, reports on an eyewitness account that Nikken had been involved in a dispute with prostitutes in Seattle during a 1963 trip to the United States, referred to as the "Seattle Incident." |
| Dec 1993 |
Nichiren Shoshu files a libel suit against Soka Gakkai for defamation and demands compensation. |
| Jan 1995 |
Soka Gakkai's newspaper, the Seikyo Shimbun, reports that the US federal government has record of the so-called "Seattle Incident." |
| Nov 1995 |
In a press conference and in widely distributed publications, Nichiren Shoshu and Nikken claim Soka Gakkai illegally planted a record of the Seattle Incident in US federal government database. |
| Jan 1996 |
Soka Gakkai sues Nichiren Shoshu and Nikken for libel in response to the above allegations. |
| Mar 21, 2000 |
The Tokyo District Court dismisses the 1993 libel suit brought by Nichiren Shoshu, ruling that the "Seattle Incident" indeed had happened and Soka Gakkai's reports were not libelous. |
| Jan 31, 2002 |
On the strong recommendation of the Tokyo High Court, Nichiren Shoshu completely withdraws its claim from the 1993 lawsuit and settles the case with defendants, including Soka Gakkai. The above Tokyo District Court judgment (Mar 21, 2000) remains intact. |
| Feb 22, 2002 |
The Tokyo District Court finds there is no evidence to support Nichiren Shoshu and Nikken's 1995 allegations that Soka Gakkai illegally planted a false entry in US federal government database and rules that the allegations are unfounded and defamatory. The Court orders Nichiren Shoshu to pay Soka Gakkai 4 million yen in damages. |
| Feb 12, 2003 |
The Tokyo High Court recognizes Nikken's responsibility in instructing Nichiren Shoshu administrators to make defamatory allegations against Soka Gakkai and rules that he is jointly and severally responsible for the above damages with Nichiren Shoshu. |
| Sep 9, 2003 |
The Supreme Court of Japan upholds the lower court judgment and dismisses the appeal of Nichiren Shoshu and Nikken. The case closes in favor of Soka Gakkai. |