I've noticed that you only can find information about the buildinfgs in the net when you are familiar with the names. For example in Germany you have to look for Villa Sachsen in Bingen or in Austria the Villa Windisch-Grätz in Vienna. Historical buildings do cost a lot of money over here, Taplow Court in UK is probably the most expensive??? Found an architectual article about the new kaikan in Milano/Italy link,and when you know how hard times the italians have you only can take a deep breath and wonder about the GREED that is the leading power in the org.

They recently opened a community center in Baltimore, too. I know the area it's in - very chi-chi restored historical area. There's also a liberal arts college mere blocks away, perfect hunting grounds. The building must've been very expensive, never mind the renovations necessary. They're certainly raising their public profile. When I first checked out sgi, I was living in Baltimore (that was back in 2002 or 2003), and the nearest community center was in an office park and was kinda shabby. Between the center (I can't remember if it was a cultural or community center) they opened a couple of years ago between B-more and DC, the new one in Atlanta and others that they've opened, they are keeping up with the agenda for growth that was declared not too long ago. Gotta make room for all the new zombies . . .

Are you sure they purchased it? In the late 1980s, the organization adopted a leasing policy, which is why virtually all the community centers you'll see are rented office space in strip malls, office plazas, and industrial areas. When the kaikan in Minneapolis/St. Paul was purchased at the end of the 1980s, I remember leaders saying it was the last "owned" kaikan, because the SGI had shifted to an all-leasing policy. Also, the SGI had implemented rules that members were not allowed to participate in the renovations; we all worked on that Minneapolis/St. Paul kaikan, and we were aware that was the last opportunity to participate in that way as well.

However, when strategically useful, sometimes a building WILL be bought, like that one right next to Harvard so Ikeda Senseless could claim to be a Harvard man *eye roll*

Good point, and I'm not sure. I do know, though, that the ABQ community center (built in the 90's) is owned by sgi . . . it was purpose-built, with a lot of volunteer-time put in by the members. I heard long-time members discussing that pretty often. I don't know about the own/rent situation on the new culture center in MD, other than that's a new building. Maybe the sgi definitions of "strategic" and "last opportunity" are different from ours?

Harvard man. Jeezus.

Yes, I think you are right T&P- I thought the same when I heard of the kaikans in Italy. There is the Da Vinci triangle Milano-Rome-Florence with the exclusive SGI buildings so that Ikeda Senseless ( I like that) can feel like walking in Da Vinci's footsteps, the man has a personality disorder, that is sure.

And about two years ago I've talked to a member from Reno,Nv and she said the same, the kaikan there is only a rented room in a hotel, or was it a mall? Can't remember exactly. Btw she had a lot of problems with pioneer WDs'. She said these japanese women made her life a real hell. Must be an awful poisonous place there.

When I had visited the kaikan in Vienna for the first time, I asked how is it possible to buy such an expensive historical building.The reply was that the wonderful japanese members with their magnanimity paid for it and Sensei asked to buy him all this wonderful antiques to arrange the villa.All for cousin rufus in Europe to support the members!
Now , where's the milking stanchion?
.

I double-checked and was wrong about the building in G'burg, MD - it does look like it's in a suburban office park. Sorry for the incorrect info!

I tried to find out who owns the building in El Paso (a formerly right-wing Christian church), and was amused that sgi there promotes themselves as providing "individual/family services." I couldn't figure out who owns the building, though.

Well, when I got back together with my ONE friend from the SGI (who is still in - she's a Japanese mis-fortune baby, so I cut her slack), she commented that the new kaikan, which is now called "SGI BUDDHIST CENTER" *ahem* is owned. But it's in the middle of a rental park! Here's the sign:

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See how they're stuck clear at the bottom?? LOL!! That's the ass end of the sign, in case you weren't up on the proper terminology :P Also, there are numerous signs around that plaza with the phone number of the leasing agents. I tried to call them to ask if any of the properties within that plaza were privately owned, but nobody picked up. I really don't think there's any way it could be *owned* in the middle of a rental plaza, though. When people own something, they can do what they like to it, and when people rent, they have an expectation about a certain minimum quality/upkeep standard for the entire property. So I think my poor friend was just believing what some dumbass who didn't know anything told her.

Edit: If they DO own it, then I hope they got it dirt cheap, because that's no trophy.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2013 05:06AM by TaitenAndProud.

Most of the cult org. kaikans that I saw, with the exception of the big "Cultural Centers" in some of the main cities, were run down, ugly, nondescript buildings in some sketchy area of town, a strip mall, or some industrial type of business office area. There was also one particular cult kaikan that stood out that I distinctly remember, as a young YMD. It used to literally be a church - it had the steeple and everything. The cult org. turned the main preaching room into the Gohonzon (magic chanting) room. I've always remembered that kaikan, because it creeped out some of the more hardcore Ikeda-bots knowing it used to be a church (for some of the cult zombies, it was like visiting Dracula's lair to them, HAHA!)

- Hitch

Yeah, nothing says "class" like a sign in the front window of the kaikan saying "Please don't park in front of the carpet store next door!"

The center in El Paso is in a former Christian church and is similar to your description, Hitch . . . all the pews are still in there (admittedly, more comfortable than the typical folding chairs), and the main area has the walk-in butsudan where I suppose the altar was. It was weird, but the center in Philly is even weirder to me. It's in what would have been a suite of offices on the second floor of an office building near center city. It was strange being the only group in that building on Saturdays and Sundays - definitely a sense of skulking around someplace where we shouldn't have been.