On March 5, Rissho Kosei-kai celebrated its seventy-first anniversary in the Great Sacred Hall at the headquarters in Tokyo as well as at Dharma Centers throughout Japan.

At the gathering of some 3,800 members in the Great Sacred Hall, sixteen young women members made offerings at the altar before the image of the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni, and President-designate Kosho Niwano led the assembly in sutra chanting and read out a pledge of dedication to the Buddha composed by President Nichiko Niwano.

After that, Rev. Yasutaka Watanabe, chair of the board of trustees, greeted the participants. President Niwano then presented letters of thanks and commemorative gifts to representatives of leaders and members who have rendered distinguished service at Rissho Kosei-kai Dharma Centers and to the organization as a whole. A representative of the recipients thanked the president on their behalf. Then Rev. Seiho Okano, president of Gedatsu-kai, delivered a congratulatory speech. President Niwano concluded the ceremony with his Dharma talk.