1978, designated as the "Year of Study," saw Shin'ichi Yamamoto undertaking a series of trips to various prefectures and regions across Japan, events described in this volume. In meeting with members and leaders, Shin'ichi seized every opportunity to offer them warm encouragement and guidance, pouring his entire being into these interactions without reservation. During these encounters, sometimes informal, Shin'ichi reiterated the fundamental principles underpinning the Soka Gakkai, such as the importance of personal encouragement and the meaning and function of discussion meetings. He also made an effort to visit the pioneers in those areas, whose homes had served for years as operational bases for local activities, to thank them personally.
Moreover, on April 9, 1978, the Soka Elementary School in Tokyo was inaugurated: Shin'ichi Yamamoto thus saw the realization of a goal, so dear to his mentor Toda and to the first president of the Soka Gakkai, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, of completing an entire Soka school system, from kindergarten to post-graduate specialization, based on Makiguchi's educational ideals. For Shin'ichi, it was also the concretization of his commitment to fostering capable individuals, based on the conviction that young people are the leaders of the future.
