Applications / .sokagakkai / STSK2694T-T44451 · published by ICANN 7 October 2026 · snapshot 2026-10-08

.sokagakkai

Brand TLD · Spec 13Active

Shinano Tatemono Sogo-Kanri Co., LTD., JP Q1·Q25

Ultimately controlled by SOKAGAKKAI Q108 · ICANN record ↗

§ 1 — Meaning of the string Q118·Q120

No English Translation

soɯkagakːai

§ 2 — Mission and purpose Q133

The mission and purpose of the gTLD "sokagakkai" (the "TLD") applied for in this application are to operate the TLD as a .brand TLD featuring the "sokagakkai" trademark of Soka Gakkai and to establish a trusted domain name space for websites, online services, and official online communications used by the applicant and its Affiliates.
1. Overview of the applicant and the trademark The Soka Gakkai is a global community-based Buddhist organization that promotes peace, culture and education centered on respect for the dignity of life. Its members study and put into practice the humanistic philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism. "sokagakkai" is a registered trademark of Soka Gakkai and is widely recognized in Japan and internationally as identifying Soka Gakkai and the activities it conducts. The applicant, Shinano Tatemono Sogo-Kanri Co., Ltd., is an Affiliate of Soka Gakkai that manages and operates facilities related to Soka Gakkai and will be responsible for the operation and administration of the TLD.
2. Intended registrants and users The TLD will be operated as a .brand TLD. Registration and use of domain names under the TLD will be limited to the applicant, Soka Gakkai, and their Affiliates, as well as trademark licensees of "sokagakkai" authorized by the applicant.
3. Mission and purpose of the TLD The purpose of the TLD consists primarily of the following three points. Purpose 1: Enhancing the trademark's online presence The applicant and its Affiliates will register domain names under the TLD incorporating the trademark and will use them on an ongoing basis for their online activities. This will increase the trademark's visibility. Purpose 2: Providing a trustworthy Internet environment The TLD will be operated as a .brand TLD with registrations limited to the applicant, Soka Gakkai, and their Affiliates, as well as applicant-authorized trademark licensees. This will make it easier for Internet users to identify domain names under the TLD as official resources used under the authorization of the applicant and its Affiliates, thereby reducing the likelihood of confusion or misunderstanding. Purpose 3: Mitigating domain-name-related security risks To reduce domain management and operational risks, including drop-catching, the applicant will operate the TLD under the applicant's control with restricted registrations.
4. Activities to achieve the purpose To achieve the purpose of the TLD, the applicant and its Affiliates expect to undertake the following activities: Promoting official use: Use domain names under the TLD for websites, online services, and official online communications provided by the applicant and its Affiliates, and inform stakeholders that domain names under the TLD are used as the official online resources of the applicant and its Affiliates. Establishing operational governance: Establish and implement unified internal rules for the TLD, including registration procedures, naming conventions, and permitted uses.
5. Sustainability of the purpose Because "sokagakkai," the trademark of Soka Gakkai, is expected to remain central to Soka Gakkai's activities over the long term, the TLD can continue to create value over time. In addition, domain-name-related risks, including drop-catching, are expected to remain ongoing challenges. Continued use of a .brand TLD will remain important from a security and user-protection perspective, as it helps mitigate such risks and makes it easier for Internet users to identify the official online resources of the applicant and its Affiliates.

§ 3 — Commitments and safeguards Q164–Q188

More trustworthy, consumer risk, regulated sector, government reporting, harm, government function Q164–Q169	No to each
Voluntary Safeguard PICs Q170·Q171	None · 90 applications in the round offer some
Registry Voluntary Commitments Q172·Q173	None · 5 do
Brand TLD criteria confirmed, trademark certificate attached Q180·Q181	Yes · certificate not published
Confirms the string is not a “generic string” Q183	Yes
Spec 11 §3(d) statement Q184	The applied-for string "sokagakkai" is a unique name that identifies "Soka Gakkai," which is an Affiliate of the applicant (as "Affiliate" is defined in the Base Registry Agreement), and is not a term that denominates a general class of goods or services. In addition, the applied-for string "sokagakkai" is a registered trademark of Soka Gakkai, which is an Affiliate of the applicant, and fully meets the .Brand TLD criteria defined in Specification 13, Section 9. The string is (i) identical to the textual elements of Soka Gakkai's registered trademark "sokagakkai," (ii) actually used by Soka Gakkai in the ordinary course of its business, as shown here: https://www.sokaglobal.org/about-the-soka-gakkai.html, and (iii) supported by a trademark registration issued prior to the filing of this TLD application (registration date: 2001-03-26; record: https://www.tmdn.org/tmview/#/tmview/detail/EM500000001468255). The trademark is also recorded with the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) and associated with a valid SMD file. Accordingly, because the applied-for string satisfies all Specification 13 criteria, it is not a Generic String under Specification 11. Therefore, Specification 11, Section 3(d) does not apply. To ensure that the applied-for string continues to qualify as a .Brand TLD and thus remains outside the scope of Specification 11, Section 3(d), the applicant will conduct at least one annual internal review in accordance with Specification 13, Section 7 and will submit the review results together with an officer's certification to ICANN within 20 calendar days after each calendar year. The applicant will also promptly notify ICANN in writing of any change that could affect .Brand qualification, as required by Specification 13, Section 8.

§ 4 — All other published answers

Every other answer ICANN published for this application, in the order of the form. Contact details (Q17–Q24) are left to the ICANN record.

Q212Q4.2-1 - Provide the applying entity’s self-certification document, signed by the CEO, President, CFO and/or equivalent officer of the applying entity. If financial statements are provided by a Qualified Parent Entity (QPE), the CEO, President, CFO, and/or equivalent officer of the QPE must co-sign the certification document. The self-certification document must represent and warrant: SC4.2-1.1 - The applying entity and/or a QPE will fund the startup and long-term operation of all applied-for gTLD strings and (if applicable) currently operated gTLDs of a QPE. SC4.2-1.2 - The applying entity or QPE has at a minimum of US$50,000 plus 25% of the application base fee for each applied-for gTLD string in Cash and Cash Equivalents on the balance sheet of the provided financial statements, up to a maximum of US$300,000, designated to support the startup and operation of all of the applying entity’s applied-for gTLD strings. SC4.2-1.3 - The applying entity and/or its officers are bound by law in its jurisdiction to represent financial statements accurately and the applying entity is in good standing in that jurisdiction.

Q4.2-1 - Provide the applying entity’s self-certification document, signed by the CEO, President, CFO and/or equivalent officer of the applying entity. If financial statements are provided by a Qualified Parent Entity (QPE), the CEO, President, CFO, and/or equivalent officer of the QPE must co-sign the certification document. The self-certification document must represent and warrant: SC4.2-1.1 - The applying entity and/or a QPE will fund the startup and long-term operation of all applied-for gTLD strings and (if applicable) currently operated gTLDs of a QPE. SC4.2-1.2 - The applying entity or QPE has at a minimum of US$50,000 plus 25% of the application base fee for each applied-for gTLD string in Cash and Cash Equivalents on the balance sheet of the provided financial statements, up to a maximum of US$300,000, designated to support the startup and operation of all of the applying entity’s applied-for gTLD strings. SC4.2-1.3 - The applying entity and/or its officers are bound by law in its jurisdiction to represent financial statements accurately and the applying entity is in good standing in that jurisdiction.

Answered with a document. Attachments are not published by ICANN.

Q220Q5.1-1 - Provide the applying entity’s self-certification document, signed by the CEO, President, CFO and/or equivalent officer of the applying entity. The self-certification document must represent and warrant: SC5.1-1.1 - The applying entity will appropriately protect confidentiality of data and prevent unauthorized access to data and services. SC5.1-1.2 - The applying entity will maintain a mature, appropriately funded and staffed security program, following a recognized, modern security framework based on risk management (such as the ISO27000 series, COBIT, HITRUST CSF, legally required security frameworks, or equivalent). The security program must be in place prior to delegation, and exist through at least the period of the registry agreement. SC5.1-1.3 - The applying entity is aware of and has designed its systems and business to comply with the relevant privacy and security regulations for all countries in which it operates.

Q5.1-1 - Provide the applying entity’s self-certification document, signed by the CEO, President, CFO and/or equivalent officer of the applying entity. The self-certification document must represent and warrant: SC5.1-1.1 - The applying entity will appropriately protect confidentiality of data and prevent unauthorized access to data and services. SC5.1-1.2 - The applying entity will maintain a mature, appropriately funded and staffed security program, following a recognized, modern security framework based on risk management (such as the ISO27000 series, COBIT, HITRUST CSF, legally required security frameworks, or equivalent). The security program must be in place prior to delegation, and exist through at least the period of the registry agreement. SC5.1-1.3 - The applying entity is aware of and has designed its systems and business to comply with the relevant privacy and security regulations for all countries in which it operates.

Answered with a document. Attachments are not published by ICANN.

Q221Q5.2-1 - Provide the applying entity’s self-certification document, signed by the CEO, President, CFO and/or equivalent officer of the applying entity. The self-certification document must represent and warrant: SC5.2-1.1 - The applying entity will, no later than delegation of the Top Level Domain (TLD), establish a dedicated abuse point of contact responsible for addressing matters requiring expedited attention and providing a timely response to abuse complaints concerning any name registered in the TLD. SC5.2-1.2 - The applying entity will, no later than delegation of the TLD, establish, publish, and provide to ICANN the location of a mechanism for members of the public to submit reports of abuse in accordance with the current obligations of the Base RA and any Consensus Policies. SC5.2-1.3 - The applying entity has developed proposed measures for removal of orphan glue records for names removed from the zone when provided with evidence in written form that the glue is present in connection with malicious conduct (see Specification 6). SC5.2-1.4 - The applying entity has or will have at time of delegation, established policies for handling complaints regarding abuse. Such policies are to be maintained and posted publicly so that anyone can review the policies via the Internet and any other means deemed appropriate by the applying entity. The applying entity’s policies at a minimum should contain appropriate confirmation of the receipt of the abuse report, the process of review of the report, and actions that will be taken if the applying entity confirms the report is legitimate. SC5.2-1.5 - The applying entity understands that DNS Abuse is Phishing, Malware, Botnets, Pharming and Spam (when used to deliver other forms of DNS Abuse). The applying entity understands and is prepared to contribute to the mitigation or disruption of DNS Abuse in domains in the TLD zone. SC5.2-1.6 - The applying entity’s abuse response capabilities are resourced appropriately to ensure a timely and adequate investigation and response to reports of DNS Abuse. This includes capabilities to receive and evaluate evidence of DNS Abuse in reports, and to take action to stop or disrupt the DNS Abuse. SC5.2-1.7 - The applying entity is prepared to conduct periodic scans of its zone to identify if domains are being used to perpetrate DNS Abuse, and to maintain statistical reports of the scans, the findings, and actions taken.

Q5.2-1 - Provide the applying entity’s self-certification document, signed by the CEO, President, CFO and/or equivalent officer of the applying entity. The self-certification document must represent and warrant: SC5.2-1.1 - The applying entity will, no later than delegation of the Top Level Domain (TLD), establish a dedicated abuse point of contact responsible for addressing matters requiring expedited attention and providing a timely response to abuse complaints concerning any name registered in the TLD. SC5.2-1.2 - The applying entity will, no later than delegation of the TLD, establish, publish, and provide to ICANN the location of a mechanism for members of the public to submit reports of abuse in accordance with the current obligations of the Base RA and any Consensus Policies. SC5.2-1.3 - The applying entity has developed proposed measures for removal of orphan glue records for names removed from the zone when provided with evidence in written form that the glue is present in connection with malicious conduct (see Specification 6). SC5.2-1.4 - The applying entity has or will have at time of delegation, established policies for handling complaints regarding abuse. Such policies are to be maintained and posted publicly so that anyone can review the policies via the Internet and any other means deemed appropriate by the applying entity. The applying entity’s policies at a minimum should contain appropriate confirmation of the receipt of the abuse report, the process of review of the report, and actions that will be taken if the applying entity confirms the report is legitimate. SC5.2-1.5 - The applying entity understands that DNS Abuse is Phishing, Malware, Botnets, Pharming and Spam (when used to deliver other forms of DNS Abuse). The applying entity understands and is prepared to contribute to the mitigation or disruption of DNS Abuse in domains in the TLD zone. SC5.2-1.6 - The applying entity’s abuse response capabilities are resourced appropriately to ensure a timely and adequate investigation and response to reports of DNS Abuse. This includes capabilities to receive and evaluate evidence of DNS Abuse in reports, and to take action to stop or disrupt the DNS Abuse. SC5.2-1.7 - The applying entity is prepared to conduct periodic scans of its zone to identify if domains are being used to perpetrate DNS Abuse, and to maintain statistical reports of the scans, the findings, and actions taken.

Answered with a document. Attachments are not published by ICANN.

Q121As per Section 3(d) of Specification 11 of the Base Registry Agreement, a registry operator of a “generic string” may not impose eligibility criteria for registering names in the TLD that limit registrations exclusively to a single person or entity and/or that person’s or entity’s “Affiliates” (as defined in Section 2.9(c) of the Registry Agreement). “Generic String” means a string consisting of a word or term that denominates or describes a general class of goods, services, groups, organizations or things, as opposed to distinguishing a specific brand of goods, services, groups, organizations or things from those of others. Confirm that the applied-for string is not a “generic string” in which the applying entity intends to limit registrations exclusively to a single person or entity.

As per Section 3(d) of Specification 11 of the Base Registry Agreement, a registry operator of a “generic string” may not impose eligibility criteria for registering names in the TLD that limit registrations exclusively to a single person or entity and/or that person’s or entity’s “Affiliates” (as defined in Section 2.9(c) of the Registry Agreement). “Generic String” means a string consisting of a word or term that denominates or describes a general class of goods, services, groups, organizations or things, as opposed to distinguishing a specific brand of goods, services, groups, organizations or things from those of others. Confirm that the applied-for string is not a “generic string” in which the applying entity intends to limit registrations exclusively to a single person or entity.

true

Q223By submitting this Application, the applying entity confirms that it is submitting this Application with a good faith (“bona fide”) intent to operate the gTLD for which it has applied, and that the applying entity has read and understands the provisions of Section 5.2.3.1 Prohibited Communications and Activities of the Applicant Guidebook regarding the New gTLD Program rules prohibiting certain communications and activities to prevent parties from privately resolving string contention among themselves.

By submitting this Application, the applying entity confirms that it is submitting this Application with a good faith (“bona fide”) intent to operate the gTLD for which it has applied, and that the applying entity has read and understands the provisions of Section 5.2.3.1 Prohibited Communications and Activities of the Applicant Guidebook regarding the New gTLD Program rules prohibiting certain communications and activities to prevent parties from privately resolving string contention among themselves.

true

Q224By submitting this Application, the applying entity confirms that it has read and understands the provisions of Section 5.2.3.1 Prohibited Communications and Activities of the Applicant Guidebook regarding the New gTLD Program rules prohibiting certain communications and activities to prevent parties from privately resolving string contention among themselves.

By submitting this Application, the applying entity confirms that it has read and understands the provisions of Section 5.2.3.1 Prohibited Communications and Activities of the Applicant Guidebook regarding the New gTLD Program rules prohibiting certain communications and activities to prevent parties from privately resolving string contention among themselves.

true