Daisaku Ikeda, SGI President, in his autobiographical novel. Volumes VII and VIII cover the events of 1962 and 1963, years of great development both in Japan and abroad for the Soka Gakkai. While this sows seeds of hope in many countries, in South Korea the spread of Nichiren Buddhism triggers severe persecution against Gakkai members. In 1962, the Bay of Pigs crisis exposed the fragile balance of the Cold War, and only Kennedy's steady nerves averted the nightmare of an atomic war. The American president would have liked to meet Shin'ichi Yamamoto, but this meeting, also desired by the Soka Gakkai president, was cancelled due to interference from some Japanese politicians. In 1963, Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. The event shook the entire world and left President Yamamoto with the regret of not having been able to converse with him; however, he embraced the determination to carry forward the humanitarian ideals so dear to President Kennedy.
