Queensland: Yoko & Yoshimi Yamagishi

Yoshimi first arrived on Australian shores in 1973 with the burning desire to share Nichiren Buddhism, and was received at Sydney airport by Matsuyo Hanson. By setting foot in Australia, he fulfilled a dream he had held since the age of 17 spurred on by Ikeda Sensei’s urging of youths to come to Australia having visited this land of plenty in 1964. It was in 1973 when he together with a small number of youth members set the causes for the first Youth Division to emerge in Australia.

Yoko had first traveled to Australia at the age of 22, and set her sights on fulfilling her mission for kosen-rufu here upon returning to Japan. When in Japan she maintained regular contact with Soka members from Australia, even travelling to Tokyo from Kobe to meet them while they were attending a Gakkai training course. After their marriage in Japan, Yoko and Yoshimi finally returned to Australia in 1986, helping to kick start Gold Coast and subsequently the whole of Queensland.