The is a lay-oriented Nichiren Buddhist group. It was founded by Tanaka Chigaku in 1880 as and renamed in 1884 before adopting its current name in 1914.
History The lay Nichiren Buddhist organizationBritannica Kokusai Dai-hyakkajiten article "Kokuchūkai". 2007. Britannica Japan Co. now known as the Kokuchūkai was founded by Tanaka Chigaku in 1880 as Rengekai ("Lotus Blossom Society") and renamed Risshō Ankokukai in 1884 before adopting its current name in 1914.Eiichi Ōtani, Ajia no Bukkyō-nashonarizumu no Hikaku-bunseki ("A Comparative Analysis of Buddhist Nationalism in Asia"). International Research Center for Japanese Studies. p. 115. The group's modern name is derived from a passage in the , a writing of the founder of Nichiren Buddhism, the 13th-century monk Nichiren, which reads .
Originally based in Yokohama, the group shifted its head office to Tokyo, Kyoto-Osaka, Kamakura and Miho, Shizuoka Prefecture before finally moving back to Tokyo.Jacqueline I. Stone, "By Imperial Edict and Shogunal Decree: Politics and the Issue of the Ordination Platform in Modern Lay Nichiren Buddhism". In: Steven Heine; Charles S. Prebish (ed.) Buddhism in the Modern World. New York: Oxford University Press. 2003. . pp. 197-198. The group is currently based in Ichinoe, Edogawa-ku.
Teachings Among the group's principal teachings are to return to the teachings Nichiren and unite the various sects of Nichiren Buddhism. The group's teachings are characterized by a strong form of Nichirenism.
The group's sacred text is the Lotus Sutra and their main object of reverence is the , a mandala supposedly made by Nichiren on the island of Sado.Risshō Ankoku no jitsugen e on the Kokuchūkai's official website.
Membership At its height in 1924, the group's membership was estimated at over 7000. The literary figures Takayama Chogyū and Kenji Miyazawa. were members of the Kokuchūkai for a time. The group's official website continues to claim them,"Takayama Chogyū" on the Kokuchūkai's official website."Kenji Miyazawa" on the Kokuchūkai's official website. but they ultimately rejected Tanaka's nationalistic views.
Publications The group's publications include the monthly magazines and .
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External links Official website (Japanese)