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, Buddhist name: ''Niidakyo Ajari Nichimoku'', was a junior disciple of
Nichiren was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period. His teachings form the basis of Nichiren Buddhism, a unique branch of Japanese Mahayana Buddhism based on the '' Lotus Sutra''. Nichiren declared that the '' Lotus Sutra ...
who sided with Nikkō Shōnin after Nichiren's death. Nikkō Shōnin later appointed Nichimoku as his successor as Head Priest (''Kancho'') of
Taiseki-ji , more commonly just , informally known as , is the administrative center of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. It is located in the foothills of Mount Fuji in Kamijo, Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Taiseki-ji was founded in 1290 by Nikkō Sh ...
temple. Pious beliefs claim that he will someday leave the state of
Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
to usher conversion of the
Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...
and the widespread propagation of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. Today, the ''Mokushiza'' seat inside the Dai-Kyakuden (English: Grand Reception Hall) of Taisekiji Head Temple is named in honor of Nichimoku Shōnin. In 1333, Nichimoku died at age 74, and his cremated remains are stored within Taisekiji, while the anniversary of his death on November 15 coincides with the
Shichi-Go-San is a traditional Japanese rite of passage and festival day for three and seven-year-old girls, and five-year-old and sometimes three-year-old boys. It is held annually on November 15 and celebrates the growth and well-being of young children. ...
tradition for young children called ''Mokushi-E ceremony'', later popularized during the
Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
. The symbol crest attributed to Nichimoku is the
Three Friends of Winter The Three Friends of Winter is an art motif that comprises the pine, bamboo, and plum. The Chinese celebrated the pine (松), bamboo (竹) and Chinese flowering plum (梅) together, for they observed that unlike many other plants these plants ...
combination, and in Buddhist iconography he is often portrayed with a flattened
scalp The scalp is the area of the head where head hair grows. It is made up of skin, layers of connective and fibrous tissues, and the membrane of the skull. Anatomically, the scalp is part of the epicranium, a collection of structures covering th ...
.


Early life

Nichimoku Shōnin was born in Hateke-go in Izu, Tagata District, Shizuoka prefecture, on 28 April 1260. His father was ''Niida Goro Shigetsuna'' and his mother was ''Ren Ani'', who was the eldest daughter of Lord ''Nanjo Hyo-e Shichiro'', the father of Nanjo Tokimitsu. ''Ren Ani'' was the elder sister of ''Nanjo Tokimitsu''. In the year 1274, at the age of 12, Nikkō Shōnin met Nichimoku at Mount Soto. That year he witnessed a debate between the chief priest, Shikizobozu, and Nikkō Shōnin, and later became Nikkō's disciple. At the age of thirteen, he entered the
Shingon is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asian Buddhism. It is a form of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism and is sometimes called "Tōmitsu" (東密 lit. "Esoteric uddhismof Tō- ...
Enzobo temple, a center that focused on teaching the principle of the master and disciple relationship, as it commonly applied to mostly
Samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
warriors. In 8 April 1276, (age 14), he entered the priesthood and embraced the
Dharma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear Untranslatability, translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold ...
at Mount Soto Temple; he upheld Nikkō Shōnin as his master and received the disciple name of ''Kunaikyo-Kimi''.


As Nichiren's disciple

On 24 November 1276, he traveled with Nikkō Shōnin to Mount Minobu. There, he met Nichiren for the first time, who approved his new Buddhist training. For seven years, he served Nichiren as an assistant until Nichiren's death in 1282. In Buddhist iconography, Nichimoku is featured with a flattened scalp due to a legend claiming that every day for seven years, Nichimoku Shōnin made several trips to the river in the valley of Minobu to fetch morning water for Nichiren. Nichimoku then carried the water in a wooden bucket on his head which is said to have caused a depression in his head. Today, a similar custom is performed by younger Nichiren Shoshu priests in training, upon which they fetch early morning water at a nearby river for the Dai Gohonzon image. In February 1279, Nichiren finally inscribed a
Gohonzon is a generic term for a venerated religious object in Japanese Buddhism. It may take the form of a scroll or statuary. The term typically refers to the mainstream use of venerated objects within Nichiren Buddhism, referring to the calligrap ...
for Nichimoku, now kept inside the Head Temple Taisekiji. In September 1282, Nichimoku accompanied Nichiren and Nikkō to the therapeutic hot springs of Hitachi, in Iwaki City of
Fukushima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,771,100 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miyagi Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture ...
. On the way, they stopped at the house of Ikegami Munenaka at Musashi Province in Ota, Tokyo where Nichiren died. Upon Nichimoku's return to Mount Minobu, he maintained Nichiren's grave, and he traveled to Oshu Province in the Tohoku Region to propagate the teachings of Nichiren. He established the four Oshu temples Hongen-ji, Jogyo-ji, Myoen-ji, and Myokyo-ji. As a result of Nichimoku's efforts in the Oshu region, Nikkō Shōnin bestowed the Gohonzon upon numerous believers in the area almost every year, after establishing Taiseki-ji. There are 30 Gohonzons inscribed by Nichimoku that are still catalogued and preserved to this day. After doctrinal conflicts between Nikkō Shōnin and Mimbu Niko and Hakiri Sanenaga, the steward of Mount Minobu, he sided with Nikkō and left
Yamanashi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Yamanashi Prefecture has a population of 787,592 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,465 km2 (1,724 sq mi). Yamanashi Prefecture borders Saitama Prefecture to the n ...
. On 13 October 1290, Nikkō Shōnin bestowed a Joza Gohonzon to Nichimoku to mark the beginning of transfer of successorship. This ‘’Joza’’ Gohonzon is currently enshrined in the Grand Reception Hall (Dai-Kyaku-den) of Taisekiji, and is now known as the Ogazawari Gohonzon. Eight years later, in 1298, Nikkō Shōnin followed Nichiren’s example of assigning successors and designated six senior disciples, headed by Nichimoku. After this designation, Nikkō Shōnin moved to Omosu (currently Kitayama Hommon-ji Temple) and began to transfer the entirety of Taiseki-ji to Nichimoku Shōnin. On 10 November 1332, Nikkō Shōnin, at the age of 87, finalized the transfer of successorship to Nichimoku Shōnin via the “Articles to be Observed After the Passing of Nikkō” (Nikkō ato jo-jo no koto), which he had previously prepared, along with the Buddhist articles that were previously confiscated from Kuonji Temple. Nikkō died four months later on 7 February 1333. At age 74, Nichimoku continued to warn and remonstrate against the Kamakura imperial authorities and his frequent travels under difficult conditions worsened his already poor health. His legs slowly became paralyzed and he was constantly ill. Nevertheless, he considered it his mission to present Nichiren's treatise Risshō Ankoku Ron (立正安国論) (On Securing the Peace of the Land through the Propagation of True Buddhism) to Emperor
Go-daigo Emperor Go-Daigo (後醍醐天皇 ''Go-Daigo-tennō'') (26 November 1288 – 19 September 1339) was the 96th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後醍醐天皇 (96) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order o ...
in person, which failed. For this reason, some pious believers claim this to be an unfinished task for his future rebirth. Prior to his leaving Takiseki-ji one last time, Nichimoku Shōnin is claimed to have privately chosen Nichido Shōnin from among his senior disciples. Accompanied by the priests Nichizon and Nichigo, Nichimoku Shōnin then set forth on his journey to remonstrate against the Emperor of Japan. Traveling to Kyoto with paralysis took approximately 11 days, and he finally fell mortally ill at Tarui in Mino Province in
Gifu Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,910,511 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture ...
. The two disciples who accompanied him constantly remained at his side and cared for him. In the end, Nichimoku Shōnin directed his two disciples to go on to meet with the Emperor and remonstrate in his stead; furthermore, he instructed them to report the news to Nichido Shōnin. Then, he directed the two to enshrine a Gohonzon and he quietly chanted Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.


Death and legacy

Nichimoku died on 15 November 1333, on which his two disciples mistook him to still be asleep. Both disciples, Nichizon and Nichigo cremated Nichimoku Shōnin and carried his remains with them, as they went on to confront the Emperor in his stead. Later on, Nichizon remained in Kyoto to propagate while Nichigo returned to Taiseki-ji with the remains of Nichimoku Shōnin. Pious traditions claim that upon his return to the Saha world of humans, he will accomplish the unfinished task of remonstration before his mortal death on 15 November 1333, on which present High Priests of Nichiren Shoshu customarily offer a banquet dinner for younger priests in training in hopes of finding the rebirth of Nichimoku Shōnin among the prospective candidates. According to pious hagiography, Nichimoku Shōnin's deathbed poem read as follows: Among believers, the anniversary of his death on November 15 is associated with the
Shichi-Go-San is a traditional Japanese rite of passage and festival day for three and seven-year-old girls, and five-year-old and sometimes three-year-old boys. It is held annually on November 15 and celebrates the growth and well-being of young children. ...
tradition for young children of receiving sweets and money, which was later popularized during the
Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
, now called the ''Mokushi-e ceremony''. The venerated ''Mokushiza'' seat inside the Dai-Kyakuden (English: Grand Reception Hall) of Taisekiji Head Temple is named in honor of Nichimoku Shōnin, while the traditional Buddhist liturgy of Gongyo is recited silently in his name. The symbol crest attributed to Nichimoku is the combination of ''
Pine tree A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as c ...
,
Plum tree A plum is a fruit of some species in Prunus subg. Prunus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are often called prunes, though in the United States they may be labeled as 'dried plums', especially during the 21st century. Plums are ...
,
Bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...
'', signifying the ancient Chinese symbol of ''
Three Friends of Winter The Three Friends of Winter is an art motif that comprises the pine, bamboo, and plum. The Chinese celebrated the pine (松), bamboo (竹) and Chinese flowering plum (梅) together, for they observed that unlike many other plants these plants ...
'' which are believed to auspiciously endure hardship through the winter season.


References


External links


Image of Nichimoku
{{Authority control 1260 births 1333 deaths Nichiren Buddhism Japanese Buddhist clergy Nichiren Buddhist monks Buddhist clergy of the Kamakura period People from Kannami, Shizuoka