Renei Ji

Nichiren Shonin was released from the Izu banishment on the 22nd day of the second month of the third year of the Kocho Era (1263). It is believed that Hojo Tokiyori, the most powerful man of the shogunate, made the arrangement for Nichiren’s release. Though he had given up the post of the Shogunal Regent, he was holding the real power of the military government. Therefore, Nichiren Shonin submitted his “Rissho-ankoku-ron (Treatise on Spreading Peace Throughout the Country by Establishing the True Dharma)” to the ex-Regent Hojo Tokiyori. Tokiyori admired the courageous attitude of Nichiren Shonin though he ignored the “Risshoankoku-ron.” It is because in those days those who dared to go straight to the man of the highest authority should be ready for the capital punishment. Tokiyori died in the year when the banishment of Nichiren Shonin was lifted. Thereafter, the government oppressed Nichiren Shonin harder than before.

A legend says that sickness and ominous dreams harassed the leading figures of the shogunate following the banishment of Nichiren Shonin to Izu. Hojo Shigetoki, father of Nagatoki, the 6th Shogunal Regent, died of illness. Nagatoki, and Tokimune, son of Tokiyori and the 8th Shogunal Regent, were haunted by a nightmare every night in which they saw Shigetoki writhe in agony in a burning vehicle. Moreover, their limbs became numb though they were not sick, and their breasts ached. Many monks copied the Lotus Sutra, and held special services in an attempt to save them from these sufferings.

However, their regret of exiling Nichiren Shonin did not disappear. Finally, they decided to release Nichiren Shonin. On the 22nd day of the second month in the third year of the Kocho Era (1263), Nichiren Shonin was chanting the Lotus Sutra facing the sun on the beach in Izu. A stranger came up to him and said, “The time has come for you to leave this place.” Then the stranger left to nowhere. The notice of his release arrived on that day.

After he returned to Kamakura, Nichiren Shonin was watching the state of the world for a while. In those days, Nichiji (1250 - ?) became the disciple of Nikko (1246-1333). To be precise, it was in 1263 when Nichiji was 14 years old. When Nichiji was 21 years old, impressed with the doctrine of Nichiren Shonin, he became a disciple of Nichiren (in 1270). Both Nikko and Nichiji were nominated as members of “Six Senior Disciples” of Nichiren Shonin at the time of Nichiren’s death. After observing the 13th memorial anniversary of Nichiren Shonin in 1294, Nichiji determined to set out for an overseas propagation mission. His footprints can be spotted in the northern part of Japan, namely Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido.

From there, he is said to have set out for a voyage of Mainland China, but there remain no authentic traces of him left there.

According to the legend Nichiji climbed Mt. Minobu on the 13th memorial day of Nichiren Shonin in 1294 and bade farewell to the statue of our Founder, reporting his determination to go abroad for missionary work. He left the Ren-eiji Temple, Shizuoka Prefecture, which was founded by himself, on New Year’s Day of the following year, waving the sleeves of his robe to his disciples. He was 46 years old. He traveled through the northeastern part of Japan, and arrived at Hirosaki in the present Aomori Prefecture. There he wrote the Odaimoku on a wayside rock, making it his last commemoration in Japan. It is said that Nichiji then went over to Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, and from there to Mainland China, but he was lost thereafter. Therefore, the first day of the first month in the year of 1295, when he left the Reneiji Temple, is regarded as the day of his passing away.

There exists a “village of the Lotus Sutra” and many “temples of the Lotus Sutra” in China and Korea. These are presumed to be founded by Nichiji. A history book even says that an Odaimoku flag was found in the Chinese army at the time of the Japanese invasion of Korea. It is also reported that 16 Japanese shipwrecked crewmen were guided to the Nichiren-zan Hokekyoji Temple, one of the 18 temples of the Lotus Sutra. There they found a tomb of Nichiji on which was inscribed the date, May 18, indicating the day of his death, but the year was not mentioned.