Nichiren, the founder of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, lived in 13th cen Japan. After mastering all the sutras and Buddhist literature, he declared Nam-myoho-renge kyo to be the ultimate Law, or true entity of life permeating all phenomena in the universe. Nichiren advocated Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for the first time in 1253, declaring the establishment of a new Buddhism. From then on, he dedic-ated himself to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the True Law.

The Lotus Sutra teaches that by believing in and practi-cing the Buddha's teachings, all people can attain enlightenment, therefore implying the importance of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nichiren both perceived the exact nature of the Law to be propogated and awoke to his self-identity as Bodhisattva Jogyo, the leader of the bodhisattvas who emerged from the earth and were entrus-ted with the mission of propagating the True Law in the ceremony described in the latter part of the Lotus Sutra.

Nichiren revealed his true identity as the original Buddha, whose purpose was to open the way to Buddhahood for all people. In 1279 he inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon for the enlightenment of all people, thus fulfilling the purpose of his advent

The Seven Hundred Year Heritage of Nichiren Shoshu Having established Taiseki-ji temple at Ueno, its present site, Nikko Shonin intensified his activities to collect Nichiren Daishonin's writings and to consolidate the orthodoxy of the Daishonin's teaching. In the meantime, he also devoted himself to the upbringing of disciples, the promotion of propagation throughout the country, and admonitions to the people in power. In 1298, Nikko Shonin opened a seminary for Buddhist study at Omosu, adjacent to the eastern section of Ueno. Giving lectures himself, he launched full-scale activities to raise disciples strong and learned enough to perpetuate true Buddhism. Meanwhile, Nichimoku Shonin (1260-1333), the successor to Nikko Shonin, stayed at Taiseki-ji, protecting the Dai-Gohonzon and directing the nationwide campaigns. Owing to the earnest propagation activities of disciples and followers, seeds of faith in true Buddhism were sown in various parts of the Kyushu, Shikoku, San'in, Kinki and Tohoku areas. Nikko Shonin particularly concentrated his efforts on clarifying the orthodox lineage from Nichiren Daishonin by denouncing the heretical doctrines of the five elder priests and their followers in his Principles of Guidance for the Fuji School and On Refuting the Five Priests. In the former writing, Nikko Shonin gives reasons he cannot be concordant with the five elder priests: they called themselves disciples of T'ien- t'ai, claiming that Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism belongs to the Tendai sect; they paid homage to Shinto shrines; they practiced transcribing the Lotus Sutra; and they directed many priests at a time to copy one sutra within a day. (4) Nikko Shonin also left Twenty-six Warnings out of his persistent spirit to perpetuate the Law. One of the well-known articles goes, "Never thinking of your own self, you must strive with all your might to propagate the Mystic Law until kosen-rufu is obtained." Nikko Shonin entrusted Nichimoku Shonin with the Dai -- Gohonzon of the second year of Kan (1279) that he inherited from Nichiren Daishonin. Not only that, Nikko Shonin also gave a transfer document to Nichimoku Shonin, stating, "Nichimoku should supervise temples and graves in Taiseki-ji, make repairs on them, and observe daily worship for the attainment of kosen-rufu." After transferring everything to the third High Priest, Nikko Shonin passed away on February 7, 1333, at the age of eighty-eight. On the occasion of the fall of the Kamakura shogunate in May 1333, and the restoration of the reign to the Imperial Court at Kyoto, Nichimoku Shonin left for Kyoto to remonstrate with the Court to take faith in the true teaching of Nichiren Daishonin. It was too heavy a task for a seventy-four-year-old priest. On November 15 of the same year, still on the way to Kyoto, Nichimoku Shonin fell at Tarui in what is now Gifu Prefecture, never to return. Before he left Taiseki-ji, Nichimoku Shonin had transferred the Law to Nichido Shonin (1283-1341), the fourth High Priest, and the pure lineage has been solemnly preserved from one high priest to the next up to Nittatsu Shonin, the present sixty-sixth High Priest, for the past seven hundred years. Along this lineage, the correct content (keho) and method (kegi) of Nichiren Daishonin and Nikko Shonin's teachings have been handed down in an unbroken line. In the history of Buddhism in Japan, the sect of Nikko Shonin and his successors was generally called the Fuji school, in connection with the location of Taiseki-ji at the foot of Mt. Fuji, but there were some alterations according to the age.

In the days of Nichido Shonin, the fourth High Priest, another immediate disciple of Nichimoku Shonin named Nichigo (1293-1353) claimed the domain of the Renzobo lodging temple and its vicinity in Taiseki-ji, on the grounds that he had inherited it from Nichimoku Shonin on the latter's deathbed. Nichigo eventually left Taiseki-ji and moved to Hota in what is presently Chiba Prefecture, where he built a temple which was later called Myohon-ji, and kept insisting on his demands. This conflict between Nichigo and Nichido Shonin and their respective successors lasted for some seventy years thereafter, placing a tremendous strain on the priesthood of Taiseki-ji. During this turbulent time, outward activities to expand the temple and its believers dwindled greatly. Nichiu Shonin (1409-1482), the ninth High Priest, despite the fierce warfare occurring all over the country at the end of the Muromachi era (1336-1573), earnestly traveled around the country to lead propagation campaigns. Through his efforts, many people of other sects were converted to true Buddhism and became his disciples. He also made repairs on the temples and educated priests, thereby contributing to the restoration of Taiseki-ji. From the standpoint of revering Nichiren Daishonin as the True Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law, Nichiu Shonin systematized the formalities of the Fuji school teaching by recounting 121 articles of guidelines. These were recorded by one of his disciples and are known as On the Formalities of True Buddhism (Kegi Sho). Nitchoin Shonin (1469-1527), the twelfth High Priest, reconstructed the main temple, the image hall (Mieido) and the general gate (Somon), creating a typical formation for a Buddhist temple. Further down the ages, in the early days of the Edo period (1603 - 1867), in the era of Nissei Shonin (1600 - 1683), the seventeenth High Priest, with funds donated by Kyodaiin, the wife of a feudal lord in Shikoku, the image hall of Taiseki-ji was reconstructed as a larger building. Furthermore, a seminary for Buddhist study called Hosokusa Danrin was built in Kazusa, presently Chiba Prefecture. Nichiyo Shonin (1669 - 1729), the twenty-fifth High Priest, constructed the temple gate (Sanmon) of Taiseki-ji under the auspices of Tenneiin, the wife of the sixth Tokugawa shogun, Ienohu. By the middle of the Edo period, various heretical doctrines derived from the five elder priests had prevailed far and wide throughout the country, and the true teachings of Nichiren Daishonin were blurred to the general public. Living in this time of religious confusion, Nichikan Shonin (1665-1726), the twenty-sixth High Priest, consolidated the authentic spirit and teachings of Nichiren Daishonin and Nikko Shonin, bringing them back into central focus. Together with Nichiu Shonin, he is honored as one of the two restorers of true Buddhism. Based on the heritage of the Fuji school, Nichikan Shonin clarified the true teachings of Nichiren Daishonin by refuting each heretical teaching that was influential in society. In his attempt to achieve this, he authored exegeses on many important Gosho such as The Security of the Land through the Propagation of True Buddhism, The Opening of the Eyes, The True Object of Worship, and Requital for the Buddha's Favor. In addition, he wrote the Six-volume Writings (Rokkan Sho), which consists of The Threefold Secret Teaching, Meanings Hidden in the Depths, Interpretation Based on the Law, Teachings for the Latter Day, Practice of This School and The Three Robes of This School.

The Six-volume Writings is indeed an all-encompassing book which refutes false doctrines and brings out the truth as is shown in his conviction, "With this writing, you need not fear in the slightest, should all the priests of every sect in Japan besiege you all at once." The restoration of true Buddhism through Nichikan Shonin inspired many gifted priests to appear, who greatly contributed to the prosperity of Taiseki-ji thereafter. In the days of Nichiin Shonin (1687-1769), the thirty-first High Priest, the construction of the Five-storied Pagoda was completed and all the major temple buildings that constitute the present Taiseki-ji were fully prepared. However, the social conditions at this time were not at all good for energetic propagation.

Since the early days of the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate had taken an anti-Christianity policy in order to maintain the stability of their reign. In order to trace believers, the government ordered all Buddhist temples in Japan to keep a register of persons living in their respective territorial divisions (parishes). Because of this religious control, people were not allowed to freely change their residence, and they needed approval from their district temple on occasions such as birth, marriage, travel, employment, and burial. Therefore, there was no freedom to change one's faith, and one Buddhist sect was forbidden to criticize another. If the priesthood and the laity of Taiseki-ji followed the spirit of shakubuku propagation by refuting other faiths, that would mean a violation of the law. This fact notwithstanding, many earnest believers appeared in many parts of the country and carried out courageous campaigns, never succumbing to persecutions from other sects and the authorities. From the middle to the end of the Edo period, many priests and believers were arrested, tortured, detained or deported. Some even died in prison or were banished to distant islands from major cities like Kanazawa (Ishikawa Prefecture), Sendai (Miyagi Pref.), Owari (Aichi Pref.), Sanuki (Kagawa Pref.), Hachinohe (Aomori Pref.), Ina (Nagano Pref.) and Edo (Tokyo). Despite such nationwide persecution, the torch of faith in true Buddhism was stoutly handed down form one generation to the next. The ban on Christianity and the rigid religious control were abolished through Japan's modernization, known as the Meiji Restoration (1868). Accordingly, oppression of Taiseki-ji and its branch temples declined. However, in September 1872, along with the government's policy of seeking wealth and military strength for the nation, the government tried to reorganize the Buddhist circles of Japan into seven sects: Tendai, Shingon, Jdo, Zen, Shin, Nichiren and Ji. Nichiin Shonin (1829-1880), the fifty-fourth High Priest, strongly opposed the proposal that Taiseki-ji become one of the subordinate temples of the Nichiren sect. As a result, the eight temples derived from the immediate disciples of Nikko Shonin united as one sect and called themselves the Nichiren sect Nikko school. Among the eight temples (5) however, Taiseki-ji, which comprised the sole body that inherited the orthodox lineage of Nichiren Daishonin and Nikko Shonin, was not allowed to assume the central position. Taiseki-ji continued to press its demands to the government for separation and independence from the other seven temples. In 1900, the government granted the request and Taiseki-ji acquired independence as a sect. It was designateded as the Nichiren sect Fuji school. Form that time on, Taiseki-ji saw the construction of branch temples, fostering of believers, public lectures and debates with other sects. Through such propagation activities, many believers (6) associations (ko) were formed and many devout believers were fostered. Nissho Shonin (1862-1923), the fifty-seventh High Priest, was famous for his excellent power of debate on the doctrine. A Nichiren sect named Kenpon Hokke-shu (7) was thoroughly exposed for its false doctrine and Nissho Shonin enhanced the prestige of true Buddhism. In 1912, Taiseki-ji changed its sectarian designation to the present Nichiren Shoshu (Nichiren Orthodox sect), because it was not appropriate for Taiseki-ji to be named as a school. From around the time when the Imperial reign switched to the Showa era (1926 -- ), Japan started to fall under the dominance of militarism. Faith in Shintoism (8) was encouraged in every corner of society and freedom of thought was accordingly belittled. Taking advantage of this national trend, the government even started to interfere with the doctrines of religious sects.

Around 1940, one year before Japan plunged into the Second World War, the government strengthened the war structure and demanded that all Nichiren derivative sects be unified as one religious body under the military and other authorities. Nichiren Shoshu came to a critical fork in the road, to unify with other Nichiren sects or to be disbanded. A conference for its defense, held by the clergy and the laity, was convened the following year at Taiseki- ji. They came to the conclusion not to join the unification, as both priests and lay believers united strongly to deal with this hard time. Finally, the non-unification and independence of Nichiren Shoshu was granted by the authorities and the pure lineage was safely preserved. As the flames of war grew larger throughout the country, many branch temples were damaged. Things got even worse in June 1945 when the Daibo and the reception hall of Taiseki-ji were burned down. After the end of the war in August 1945, Japan was reborn as a democratic country, in which religious freedom was fully guaranteed. Following the reorganization of the Soka Gakkai and intensified propagation activities, Nichiren Shoshu started to prosper with the expansion and reconstruction of temple buildings of Taiseki-ji. At the same time, many new branch temples were established all over the country. In October 1972, the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of True Buddhism was transferred to the newly completed Sho-Hondo (the Grand Main Temple), a sacred addition to the fundamental land for all believers. With an increasing number of overseas members joining all over the world, Taiseki-ji, as the Head Temple of Nichiren Shoshu, now reflects dignity as the home of a universal religion. Footnotes: (4) This practice was called, Ichinichi, iterally, One Day sutra. (5) eight temples: Taiseki-ji, Kitayama Honmon-ji, Kyoto Yo- ji, Izu Jitsujo-ji, Shimoj Myren-ji, Koizumi Kuon-ji, Hota Myhon-ji, and Nishiyama Honmon-ji in chronological order. Three of these temples converted to Taiseki-ji after the Second World War. (6) believers' associations: originally, a group of people formed as an association in order to receive preaching on the Buddhist sutras. Later, Buddhist temples came to have various believers' associations that supported them. (7) Kenpon Hokke-shu: established by Nichijo about 100 years after Nichiren Daishonin's death. The head temple is Myman-ji temple in Kyoto. (8) Shintoism: the native religion of Japan. The military government used it as the state religion to solidify national unity.