Chapter 1. Truth of How Nikken Stole the Position of High Priest

The Decision Was Made in the Nishi-okuban Room (the High Priest’s Secretary’s West Office) for Nikken to Become the Next High Priest 
The facts are as follows:
It was early morning of July 22, 1979. Nittatsu Shonin’s body was delivered to the reception room of his quarters. Recitation of the sutra and chanting of daimoku by his relatives and those close to him at the head temple had just concluded.

Keido Hosoi and Takudo Hosoi (who are both Nittatsu Shonin’s sons), Jiun Sugano (Nittatsu Shonin’s son-in-law), and some others were chatting in the high priest’s secretary’s west office (called the Nishi-okuban room). General Administrator Abe, who was supposed to lead the recitation of the sutra and the chanting of daimoku beside the deceased body of the former high priest at 7:15 AM, made an appearance. Upon seeing them, Abe asked, “Did you hear anything about who’ll succeed him?” Obviously, Abe was asking about the transmission of the heritage.

Jiun Sugano replied, “Aren’t you, Mr. General Administrator, succeeding him?” Hearing Sugano’s words, Nikken murmured, “Oh, is that right? Yes, you’re right…” Wearing a complex expression on his face, he nodded ponderously.

Actually, it was not on April 15, 1978, the date Nikken later alleged he had received the heritage from Nittatsu Shonin, but through the words that Sugano uttered above that it was decided that Nikken would be the next high priest.

A person who was versed in the feelings of Nichiren Shoshu executive priests commented, “At the time, the possible candidates to be the next high priest were either Mr. Nichiji Hayase or Mr. Abe. The general sentiment on the part of senior priests was that Mr. Abe would perhaps be a better choice. That is why Mr. Abe was chosen.”

Nichiren Shoshu makes a big fuss out of transferring the heritage from high priest to high priest. But the above statement shows the essential characteristics of how the heritage had been transferred within Nichiren Shoshu from high priest to high priest. 

Why did they choose Abe, not Hayase? In those days, there were two major factions in Nichiren Shoshu. One was the Hokikai group, that is, the Hayase family’s faction. The other was the Myokankai group, which was Nittatsu Shonin’s disciples’ faction. They were at variance with each other. Nichiji headed the Hokikai group, and Nittatsu Shonin’s disciples did not like the idea of giving the heritage to this group. The Myokankai is said to have satisfied itself by nominating Abe for the next high priest.

What was the Myokankai group thinking when Nittatsu Shonin passed away without designating anybody for the next high priest? It was inconceivable in Nichiren Shoshu for a high priest to die without selecting his successor. According to the school’s philosophy, there must not be any form of discontinuity in the transmission of its heritage. Therefore, the Myokankai group was forced to select the next high priest, whoever he may be. Because of the urgency, the Myokankai group is said to have chosen Nikken as the next high priest.

When Nikken was dealing later with the Shoshinkai (a group that doubted his authenticity as 67th high priest), he took advantage of this dilemma by saying, “If you insist that I did not receive the heritage, it will follow that Nittatsu Shonin, whom you respect, passed way without transferring the heritage to anybody.” 

When Nittatsu Shonin passed away, the matter that most concerned Keido Hosoi, Takudo Hosoi, and Jin Suga was that they had to avoid a situation wherein Nittatsu Shonin had failed to nominate his successor. So, put another way, Nikken did not become high priest because he received the heritage. He became one because Sugano responded to him in the Nishi-okuban room, saying “Aren’t you, Mr. General Administrator, succeeding him?”

At the executive priests’ conference held a few hours later, Nikken brought forth his own story, stating “As a matter of fact, I did receive the heritage on April 15 of the previous year.” This statement by Nikken was his way of reacting to Sugano’s decisive words.

In the trial against the Shoshinkai group (who opposed him as high priest), Nikken failed to disclose what had actually happened in his alleged heritage transference on April 15 of the previous year. He could not answer any practical questions raised in court about the so-called transference, such as “When did it happen?” “In which room did it happen?” “In what way did you receive the heritage?” etc.

Nikken once stated to a group of teacher-priests, “My diary says that I did receive the heritage on April 15.” However, he did not present the diary during the trial as evidence.

Concerning Nittatsu Shonin’s Condition
The 66th high priest, Nittatsu Hosoi Shonin, began to show a conspicuous decline in his health in spring 1978. He would often complain about his chronic heart disease. At first, he was under the care of Dr. Suzuki, who was serving at the medical lodging of the head temple, and Dr. Goto, who was dispatched from the Fujinomiya City Hospital to the same medical lodging of the head temple. These two doctors were made available for those residing at the head temple. Around the time when Nittatsu Shonin’s heart disease got serious, Dr. Hinohara, chief doctor of Seiroka Hospital in Tsukiji, Tokyo, became his main physician. Dr. Hinohara was known as a heart specialist and noted for his treatment of elderly patients. 

Nittatsu Shonin was once hospitalized in a hospital in Tokyo, where he received a physical examination, some treatments, and instructions from Dr. Hinohara. Nittatsu Shonin faithfully followed Dr. Hinohara's directions. As a result, he lost 15 kilograms in weight (about 33 pounds), and seemingly regained his health to the point where he could do his normal routine work on his own.

Because Nittatsu Shonin was getting old and suffering from geriatric illnesses such as blood vessel deterioration and heart problems, Dr. Hinohara wanted Nittatsu Shonin to have a physical examination every month and to be hospitalized occasionally for a comprehensive examination. Thus once a month, Nittatsu Shonin came to Tokyo to go to the hospital. After seeing his doctor at the hospital, he loved to stroll around in Asakusa or Ginza, where he enjoyed eating different food each time such as “loaches in the pot” (a kind of fish), “sardine in the pot,” and different vegetable dishes. But he did not eat much; he mostly seemed to enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant, as much as anything.

Every two or three months, he was invited to the completion ceremony of a new temple or the Gohonzon enshrinement ceremony of a local temple. On each occasion, Nittatsu Shonin faithfully fulfilled his responsibilities despite his tight schedule. Thus, he welcomed 1979 and became 77, an auspicious age in the Oriental calendar. He was busy from the beginning of the year. In the summer, he was even scheduled to attend a ceremony in Hawaii.

On July 17 of that year, he attended a renovation ceremony at Myoryu-ji temple in Fukuoka City. After the ceremony, he was invited to a reception at a ryotei restaurant in Fukuoka, where he enjoyed traditional kaiseki dishes and even a cup of sake. Drinking sake was a rare thing for him. Even after he returned to his hotel, he still had a good appetite, and ate an order of yakisoba noodle. In the bullet train back to Tokyo, he ate sandwiches in high spirits. Usually, the high priest was careful not to overeat, but during his Fukuoka trip, he ignored his doctor’s instructions.

On July 18, upon returning to the head temple, Nittatsu Shonin said to those close to him, “I don’t feel well. I am constipated. I may have overeaten.” On that day, Nittatsu Shonin saw Dr. Goto, but the doctor could not come up with any specific diagnosis, and his guess was that Nittatsu Shonin might be having a case of appendicitis. 

The following day, July 19, was to be a busy day for Nittatsu Shonin, as he was scheduled to attend a ceremony at 10:30 AM at the head temple to mark the one-year anniversary of the passing of Nichijo Sato. He was also scheduled to lead a full-house ceremony for Myodo-ji temple at the Grand Reception Hall. And he was supposed to attend a communication meeting in the afternoon with Soka Gakkai representative leaders.

However, on the morning of July 19, Nittatsu Shonin suddenly had a severe pain in his stomach and around his waist, which made him lie down in the reception room of his quarters. Soon after, he had an episode of nausea. Dr. Suzuki examined him. All he did was to give a shot to the high priest, instructing him to put a wet pack over his waist. Dr. Goto also checked the high priest, and all he did was to give him a drip of nourishing water to stop his pains. No diagnosis was given to the high priest by either doctor. 

An effort was made to contact Dr. Hinohara at Seiroka Hospital, but he was out of town attending a medical conference in Miyazaki. He gave instructions over the phone that Nittatsu Shonin was to be hospitalized at Fujiyama Hospital near Shiraito Falls. It was in late afternoon of July 19th that Nittatsu Shonin was driven to the hospital with a nurse beside him.

News of his hospitalization spread all over the head temple, worrying the priesthood very much. The planned full-house ceremony was conducted without the high priest. The head temple’s secretary led the meeting, which started half an hour late.

An X-ray examination at the hospital showed that Nittatsu Shonin’s intestines were not working at all. An examination of his blood revealed that his white corpuscles had increased. More X-rays were done, but nothing decisive was found about his ailment.

Starting on July 20, antibiotics were given to him, but his intestines did not show any sign of movement, and his condition remained the same. Dr. Hinohara arrived at the hospital just before noon on July 21. He conducted another examination, and, despite his condition, Nittatsu Shonin seemed very normal. In no way did he appear to be seriously sick.

Dr. Hinohara, Fujiyama Hospital’s chief, and Dr. Goto consulted together for about three hours, examining and discussing the data available, but could not reach any conclusion. The hospital chief insisted that they should perform surgery and open Nittatsu Shonin’s stomach. Dr. Hinohara was reluctant, suggesting that they should wait and see how the high priest’s physical condition would develop in the next one or two days. Dr. Hinohara insisted that if they did choose to operate, the operation should be carried out by specialists at a hospital where there was a full array of life-supporting equipment.

Nittatsu Shonin repeatedly inquired about the result of the physicians’ discussion.

In the meantime, his intestines began to move around 3 PM. Doctors and those who attended to the high priest were delighted by this change. Nittatsu Shonin’s heart condition and blood pressure did not show any sign of aggravation. It seemed that the high priest had avoided a critical condition, and it was explained to him that the doctors had decided to see how things would go for him over the next few days.

In attendance in the high priest’s hospital room were his sons, Keido Hosoi, Takudo Hosoi, Gyokudo Hosoi, and Jiun Sugano, the high priest’s son-in-law. Nittatsu Shonin engaged them in conversation. The way he spoke was completely normal.

Nittatsu Shonin said very clearly to Sugano, “Tomorrow, in just one day, I’ll go back to the head temple. If it turns out that I’d better receive treatment in Tokyo, I’ll move to a hospital in Tokyo the day after tomorrow.” He also added, “I’ll lie down at the reception room. Make sure to spread a futon for me there.” 

We wonder if he, aware of the seriousness of his illness, was thinking of fulfilling his responsibilities as high priest by transmitting the heritage to his successor. Based upon the above remarks by Nittatsu Shonin, the Shoshinkai group later asserted that Nittatsu Shonin was probably thinking of transferring the heritage either to Sugano or Hisamitsu (chief director of the head temple), while having either one of them serve as a witness.

Perhaps because he had made up his mind about transferring the heritage, Nittatsu Shonin began to show signs of an appetite, drinking some milk and eating a bowl of thin rice gruel. Everybody in the high priest’s hospital room felt relieved. Dr. Hinohara, who had come to Fujiyama Hospital straight from Kyushu, decided to return to Tokyo for a while. Notice was sent to the head temple that the high priest’s physical condition was moving toward recovery.”

However, Nittatsu Shonin’s physical condition suddenly turned much worse around 2 AM on July 22. His heart stopped. Hurriedly, massage was given to his heart. Notified of this sudden change of the high priest’s physical condition, Dr. Hinohara hurried to the Fijiyama Hospital. He arrived there in two hours. It was dawning, and the hospital was covered by dense fog.

In the hospital, the two doctors desperately continued to massage to the high priest’s heart for almost three hours. Their effort was obviously in vain.

Misako, the high priest’s wife, called the head temple about the sudden change in Nittatsu Shonin’s physical condition, but nobody picked up the phone there. Taiken Mitsuhisa, the high priest’s secretary, was absent and unreachable. Gisei Yoshida, director of the Public Relations Bureau, was the first one who talked to Misako. Yoshida then contacted the executive priests one after another.

Yoshida gathered all the priests of the head temple at the Mutsubo lodging to explain the high priest’s physical condition. They all chanted for his recovery there. Yoshida himself went to the hospital in a hurry; meanwhile, the high priest’s heart remained motionless.

Dr Hinohara formally declared that Nittatsu Shonin died at 5:05 AM, July 22. In truth, however, the high priest seems to have passed away at 2 AM when his heart actually stopped. It was an eventful and significant morning.

The sad news of Nittatsu Shonin’s death reached the Soka Gakkai, Hokkeko leaders, Nichiren Shoshu regional directors, and local chief priests. Shinno Abe (Nikken), who was General Administrator, was also notified of Nittatsu Shonin’s death at 3 AM. Upon hearing the news of the high priest’s sudden death, he left Josen-ji temple in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, and headed to the head temple by car. 

Nikken’s First Challenge Was to Put Jiun Sugano Under His Control
In sadness, the head temple was making preparations for the funeral ceremony of Nittatsu Shonin. The Gohonzon was enshrined at the reception room of the high priest’s quarters with his futon placed with his pillow to the north.

While three hundred people, including the general administrator, executive priests, other priests, acolytes, and priests’ families were chanting and awaiting the return of the high priest’s body, the car carrying the high priest’s body arrived at the head temple at 6:40 AM. General Affairs Bureau Director Eido Fujimoto, Giko Hayase, Takudo Hosoi, and Shoken Hagaihara all returned to the head temple with the body of the deceased high priest.

Kando Tono later described how the body of Nittatsu Shonin was handled, in the article he wrote for Dai-Nichiren, monthly magazine of Nichiren Shoshu, under the title “On the Informal Funeral of Nittatsu Shonin.” His article served as an official report of the informal part of the funeral:

“As the rain continued to fall in sadness, with clouds covering the eastern skies, Mr. Kaname Sugiura held up a large, ceremonial umbrella. Financial Bureau Director, Rev. Hoko Yamaguchi, Rev. Jijo Doizaki, Rev. Zuido Ito, and Rev. Todo Miyake, each wearing a pair of white gloves, carried the body of the deceased high priest from the entrance gate to the reception room.

“After changing the clothes of the deceased high priest and putting three kinds of ceremonial robes on him, the general administrator (Nikken) led the recitation of the sutra and the chanting of daimoku. The high priest’s body was laid on the futon in the reception room. After the sutra recitation and daimoku chanting were done, the general administrator shared a few words. He stated that, even though all the priests were naturally saddened by the sudden passing of the high priest, they should realize that it was time for the entire Nichiren Shoshu to unite for the protection of the True Law. We must show our appreciation to the late high priest by conducting his funeral ceremony with all our sincerity.

“After words from the senior director (Mitsuhisa), the recitation of the sutra and the chanting of daimoku ceaselessly was led alternately by executive priests and the high priest’s representative disciples. This continued until 7 PM, when the coffin of the high priest was moved to the Grand Reception Hall for the temporary wake that would be held in the evening. Incense smoke offered for the repose of the high priest filled the reception room of the high priest’s quarters.”

The high priest’s bereaved family and disciples shaved the head and face of the deceased high priest after 9 AM. In the meantime, the Internal Bureau was busy making a schedule for the informal and formal parts of the funeral, reserving places for these ceremonies, and dealing with mass media.

What were Nichiren Shoshu priests thinking in the midst of this turmoil?

Their thought was: “Nittatsu Shonin passed away all of a sudden. Yet, the heritage of Nichiren Shoshu that has been transferred from high priest to high priest must never be severed even a moment. This is hossui shabyo, the principle in which the heritage of the Law is transferred just as the water in a cup is transferred to another cup… How should we resolve this situation, where obviously no transfer ceremony occurred between Nittatsu Shonin and any other priest who could be his successor.”

Complicated emotions and heavy feelings enveloped the hearts of the executive priests of Nichiren Shoshu. As a matter of fact, as Nittatsu Shonin’s body returned to the head temple, some priests had already begun to maneuver about who would succeed him.

Nichiji Hayase, former general administrator, openly asked Misako, the former high priest’s wife, “Madam, is there anything that is written?” Irritated a bit by Hayase’s insensitive question, Misako is reported to have replied, “I have no idea.”

About the same time this conversation took place between Hayase and the wife of Nittatsu Shonin, Giko Hayase, husband of the late high priest’s second daughter, was seen going through Nittatsu Shonin’s memos and writings in the Gohonzon-transcription room in the high priest’s quarters.

What did not make sense at all was the remark that Nikken made in the Nishi-okuban room: “Did you hear anything about who’ll succeed him?” The question that Nikken asked Keido Hosoi, Takudo Hosoi, and Jiun Sugano did not sound at all like something uttered by the person who would later claim that he had received the heritage from Nittatsu Shonin. At the point when Nikken made this remark, he was not saying that he had received the heritage from the former high priest – he was asking who had. Obviously, Nikken’s remark indicates that he was a third party with regard to the transmission of the heritage. In other words, he was asking from his point of view as general administrator, expressing his concern about who would succeed the former high priest who suddenly died.

However, Sugano’s response was “Didn’t you receive the heritage...” which Nikken did not expect to hear from Sugano. We wonder how Nikken felt after hearing this response.

Nichiren Shoshu priests in general knew that Nikken was eager to become a high priest. When he was the chief priest of Heian-ji temple in Kyoto, he had his wife send to the head temple a gorgeous basket of mushrooms worth tens of thousands of yen to amuse Nittatsu Shonin.

At one time, the tombstones of the successive high priests were moved to another location. It was during the time of the construction of the Sho-Hondo. On that occasion, part of Nikken’s father’s ashes could not be located, but it was decided that his tombstone would still be moved regardless. Angered by this decision, some of Nikkai’s disciples were ready to complain to Nittatsu Shonin about this treatment. But Nikken and his mother, Myoshuni, begged them not to do so, saying, “If you should go ahead, it would hinder my future success.” This episode is well-known among Nikkai’s disciples, who felt badly toward Nikken because of it: “You don’t care about your father’s ashes simply because you want to become the next high priest.”

Here is another laughable story. A notice board was put up at the time of the completion ceremony of the Sho-Hondo. When the notice board was brought to the place where it was supposed to be placed, Nichiji Hayase and Shinno Abe reportedly said, “This is written so poorly. Who wrote it?” As soon as an acolyte said, “Nittatsu Shonin did,” Nikken is said to have replied, “On second thought, this is really written well.” This is another episode that shows how careful Nikken was to not displease Nittatsu Shonin. Is this not the World of Animality?

Nikken, with complicated feelings in his heart, led the recitation of the sutra and the chanting of daimoku for the deceased high priest at 7:15 AM. After that, Nikken realized, due to his conversation with three members of Nittatsu Shonin’s bereaved family, that “They did not hear anything from Nittatsu Shonin about his successor. Sugano, who I at first thought might succeed him, seems to have received no heritage from Nittatsu Shonin. Not only that, surprisingly, Sugano nominated me as next high priest.”

What became clear to Nikken was that Nittatsu Shonin passed away without transferring the heritage to anybody. He realized that Nichiren Shoshu would need to get through this very serious situation where no new high priest has been nominated. It was imperative not to break the lineage of the transmission of the heritage of Nichiren Shoshu. And he realized that the Hosoi family had chosen not Hayase, but Nikken as the successor. He realized that becoming the 67th high priest was in his grasp. Resisting feelings of joy, Nikken racked his brains to conceive of a conspiracy, the most important one in his lifetime.

Nikken said to himself, “When should I say I received the heritage? It can’t be too recent. It should be at least one year ago. What is the best timing for me to make this announcement? I’d better start at tonight’s wake. Do I have to do any groundwork? I’d better talk to Sugano first to make him side with me without fail. Then, I’d better hold a meeting of the executive priests. Is there anyone who would oppose my ascension? Nichiji Hayase would possibly be one.”

It was then that Nikken, using the date of “April 15, 1978,” created a scenario to take the position of high priest in Nichiren Shoshu. During the recitation of the sutra and the chanting of daimoku for the deceased high priest, what occupied his mind was not his prayer for the late high priest but a plot to appoint himself as high priest. This is indeed a scheme beyond most ordinary people’s sensibilities.

After the first ceremony was over, Nikken lost no time in taking action. First, he had to have Jiun Sugano, head of the Myokankai group that is the foremost group in Nichiren Shoshu and husband of Nittatsu Shonin’s daughter, side with him. A witness testifies, “I think it was between 8 AM and 9 AM, after the ceremony, that Nikken and Jiun Sugano had a serious talk that lasted about half an hour at the general administrator’s room. Several people saw them speaking.”

The content of their talk must have been extremely serious. As soon as Nikken came out of the room, he saw some acolytes who were there to serve tea, and he said to them furiously, “What are you doing here? Were you here while I was talking inside?”

Around 9 AM, Gakkai leaders, who arrived at the head temple, visited the high priest’s quarters to pay homage to the late high priest. They encountered Jiun Sugano, who was fresh from his talk with Nikken, when they were about to enter the reception room. Sugano seemed elated and surprised the Gakkai leaders by making this irrelevant remark: “I understand my turn will come after the next high priest.”

Sounding intoxicated, Sugano is said to have mentioned to a person close to him, “I’ll persevere for at least ten years.”

There is no knowing what was discussed between Nikken and Sugano during their half-hour conversation. >From Sugano’s remarks, we can guess what they discussed. Nikken must have said to Sugano: “You’ll be high priest after me. I’ll do it right for you, so don’t worry.” It is easy to believe that Nikken gave Sugano a promise like that. Additionally, Nikken must have promised Sugano an important position under his new leadership, in return for asking Sugano to support him against the forces of Hayase’s group.

And in fact, on August 2 right after Nikken took office, Sugano was appointed to the position of General Affairs Bureau director while also maintaining the Overseas Bureau Director. It was extremely favorable treatment for Sugano.

However, their sweet relationship did not last long. Many of Nittatsu Shonin’s disciples became active against Nikken and formed the Shoshinkai group to fight against him. Jiun Sugano became the symbol of anti-Nikkenism among activist priests in Nichiren Shoshu. Nikken released Sugano from his new position after only three months; he must have realized that it would be dangerous to keep Sugano in that position. 

As a result, Sugano has been excluded from the mainstream of Nichiren Shoshu for the past twenty years, while Nikken still stays in power. Sugano was completely fooled by Nikken’s promises.

Nikken Makes Sudden Revelation at Special Session of Executive Priests
Time went by quickly. At 11:10 AM, an executive priests’ meeting was urgently convened in the reception room of the east quarters of the high priest’s secretary. Present were Nikken as general administrator; Hoei Shiina (Niccho), chief executive; and Nichiji Hayase, a representative of the noke priests.

An executive priests’ meeting can be defined as a Nichiren Shoshu officers’ meeting. If the high priest were alive, this meeting would be attended by the high priest (chief administrator), the general administrator, and the chief executive. With the passing of High Priest Nittatsu, the members of the executive priests’ meeting were just Nikken, the general administrator, and Shiina, the chief executive. But Nikken also dared to include Hayase, who was not a formal member of the executive priests. Nichiji Hayase at first could not see why he had to attend this meeting, but it is said that Hayase, surprised at the unexpected invitation, made himself attend it, even if he was not so excited about it.

Hidden behind the idea of involving Hayase in the executive priests’ meeting was Nikken’s agenda. He must have thought: “Now I have Sugano under my control. Next I’ll do the same with Hayase.” His reasoning must have been something like this: “A problem would arise if a decision were formally made at a meeting where Hayase was not present. The Hokikai group, which upholds Nichiji, would not be quiet about my ascension to the position of high priest. It would be much better for me if I could invite Hayase to the executive priests’ conference and move everything toward my succession. Clause 3 of Article 14 of the Rules of Nichiren Shoshu stipulates, ‘In case the high priest cannot select his successor for unavoidable reasons, the general administrator, the chief executive, or noke priests shall discuss who will be next high priest.’ Even if problems should occur later, I could insist that (with the inclusion of Nichiji in the executive priests’ meeting) the meeting was actually a meeting for selecting the next high priest as stipulated by the Rules of Nichiren Shoshu.”

Thus, the scenario that Nikken created was successfully put into action. He succeeded in involving Nichiji in his scheme to usurp the position of high priest in Nichiren Shoshu. Nikken had Shiina say in the announcement during the temporary wake for the deceased high priest, “With the special attendance of Rev. Kanmyo-in (Nichiji) at the executive priests’ meeting …” which gave the impression to everyone that “Nichiji agrees with Nikken’s succession.” Using Nichiji was a particularly sneaky move by Nikken. 

At the executive priests’ meeting, Nikken stated: “I’ve not told anyone this, but on April 14 last year, the high priest and I were alone together at his quarters at the head temple, and he privately made reference to his intent to transmit the heritage to me. And at that time I received from him profound instructions about the teachings. This I would like to disclose now.” (Dai-Nichiren, September 1979 issue)

It was at that moment that Nikken defeated his foremost rival, Nichiji Hayase. His first strike was decisive enough for him to win, even before Hayase realized there was a battle being fought. Later, Nikken triumphantly described his honest feelings at that moment. Reform priest Kodo Yoshikawa stated, “Right after Nikken took office as high priest, he spontaneously said, ‘I thought Mr. Hayase may have received the heritage from Nittatsu Shonin, but Hayase remained quiet. So I decided to take the position of high priest.’” Mr. Yoshikawa said that quite a few young priests heard Nikken say this. 

It is obvious that Nikken is a self-appointed high priest. He has provided no evidence to justify his assertion. When Nikken stated, “When the high priest and I were alone together…” no one could present any proof that Nikken was lying. Even though the story was implausible, there was nothing any one could say. All Nichiji Hayase, who could have become the 67th high priest, could do was to just watch how things unfolded in favor of Nikken. Thus, the executive priests’ meeting ended with confirmation of Nikken’s self-appointment as new high priest.

Hayase must have felt awfully chagrined, as soon as he realized that he had been taken in by Nikken. He must have said to himself, “I didn’t expect that Abe would bring up even the specific date…. Damn it.”

Suppressing his usual hot temper, Nichiji barely attended the temporary wake for the deceased high priest. As soon as the wake was over, Nichiji hurriedly returned to Tokyo. It was a harbinger of the subtle relationship between Nikken Abe and Nichiji’s Hokikai group.

Nikken may have successfully bested Nichiji Hayase, but he was still very much concerned about whether the Hokikai group would support or oppose him. Some priests related to the Hokikai group shared this information: “On the morning that Nittatsu Shonin passed away, Nikken, fresh from the executive priests’ meeting, said to me very seriously, ‘Please support me, as I have accepted the responsibility as new high priest.’ At that time, he also said, ‘I’ll be OK even if Mr. Kanmyo-in (Nichiji Hayase) should play the role of high priest for a while.’ All I could say to him was ‘It would be great if you became high priest.’ How could say to him, ‘Yes, you’re right. Mr. Kanmyo-in should have the position.’”

This statement eloquently depicts Nikken’s exact frame of mind about his self-appointment. His casual remark that “I’ll be OK even if Mr. Kanmyo-in (Nichiji Hayase) should play the role of high priest for a while” signifies that Nikken’s story was self-made. The above statement also shows that the transmission of the heritage is a very political issue in the minds of the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood.

In contrast to Nichiji, who was so disappointed, Nikken began to behave convincingly as the new high priest after the executive priests’ meeting.

There was a discussion going on outside the room where the executive priests’ meeting was held. Responsible priests were talking about where the wake should be held. Taiken Hisamitsu, chief director of the head temple, insisted, “Since the midnight gongyo is always conducted at the Grand Reception Hall, we should use the Grand Lecture Hall for the wake. Nikken, who happened to join the discussion, said, “I’d like to hold it at the Grand Reception Hall.” Hisamitsu, who was Nittatsu Shonin’s chief secretary (and may have wanted to show his authority), would not change his original idea. A witness says this turned into a dispute between Nikken and Hisamitsu. Neither of them showed any sign of changing his original idea, and the discussion came to a halt. At last, Nikken said, “Mr. Hisamitsu, you don’t understand. I’ll be the next high priest.” This statement by Nikken had the result of giving him the final say. Hisamitsu had no choice but to succumb to Nikken on the spot. The wake was thus decided to be held at the Grand Reception Hall, where an altar was set up for the ceremony.

Gakudo Nomura, chief priest of Myoko-ji in Tokyo, tapping a desk with his fan before the executive priests’ meeting, is said to have spoken a little high-handedly to Nikken, “Shinno, what will you do later?” Because Nomura was senior to Nikken in the hierarchy of Nichiren Shoshu, Nomura used this casual language to Nikken.

Nikken went to the executive priests’ meeting. As soon as they heard that it was decided at the executive priests’ meeting for Nikken to be the next high priest, Nomura and other priests all prostrated themselves to Nikken, showing their absolute obedience to the new high priest.

Chief Priest Hoshin Nakajima stated, “On the way to the wake, I met with Shinsho Abe, Nikken’s son and had a talk with him. He said, ‘Who will become a new high priest?’ I replied, ‘I wonder who.’ Then, we found out that Shinsho’s father had become new high priest, which astonished me.”

At 2 PM, Nittatsu Shonin’s body was placed in a coffin with shikimi leaves all over it.

In the early evening, his coffin was moved to the Grand Reception Hall in a procession led by Aoyama, director of the head temple. Nikken carried the Gohonzon, General Affairs Director Fujimoto carried the late high priest’s posthumous ihai, followed by Keido Hosoi, Takudo Hosoi, Gyokudo Hosoi, other disciples, the high priest’s bereaved family members and relatives. After the coffin was enshrined, the sutra was recited and daimoku was chanted under the leadership of Nikken.

A black and white bunting was hung all over the eastern side of the Grand Reception Room.

The Gohonzon was enshrined with shikimi decorating the altar covered with white cloth. Seats were prepared for the high priest’s family members and executive priests. Behind the seat of the ceremony leader were placed a number of incense burners. One side of the audience was occupied by priests, while the other side was reserved for lay believers with Soka Gakkai Honorary President Ikeda in the front.

Sudden Announcement Made about New High Priest During Daimoku Session for Deceased High Priest
Incense was offered in the following order: the chief executive, the assembly chairperson, Nichiji, officers, Taiseki-ji priests, general priests, the high priest’s family members, acolytes, Soka Gakkai leaders, Hokkeko leaders, and general believers. Recitation of the sutra was done at 8:05 PM. Hoei Shiina, chief executive and chairperson of the funeral, shared his words. He then made a sudden announcement of the transmission of the heritage. Shiina said:

“I have an important announcement. At 11:10 AM this morning, an executive priests’ meeting was urgently convened at the head temple, and this meeting was attended by General Administrator Abe, Chief Executive Shiina (that is myself), and Mr. Kanmyo-in, who is noke and was specially invited to attend this meeting. Discussions were made about matters following the passing of High Priest Nittatsu.

“General Administrator Abe served as special chairperson of this meeting, and he made an important announcement at the outset of the executive priests’ meeting.” (Here, Chief Executive Shiina exactly quotes what Abe said.)

“High Priest Nittatsu had been experiencing health problems for the past few years. Especially because of his heart problems, he had to be hospitalized several times for the treatment of his heart. Since he knew his heart ailment could suddenly take his life, he prepared for the situation that might arise after his sudden passing. His profound consideration made him assure the ceaseless transmission of the heritage, the most vital issue of this school. His profound preparedness and consideration impresses us.

“This disclosure at the executive priests’ meeting deeply moved all of us who were present, and we all vowed to follow the new high priest with absolute obedience.

“I hope that all of you, both priests and lay people in Nichiren Shoshu, respect the new high priest, and achieve true unity between priesthood and laity under his leadership to deal with these difficult times inside and outside Nichiren Shoshu. As we do our very best for the great objective of kosen-rufu under the new high priest, let’s repay our debt of gratitude to the former high priest, Nittatsu Shonin. This concludes my announcement.” (Dai-Nichiren, 1979 September issue)

Hoei Shiina’s announcement at the wake did not necessarily give the priesthood a good sense of security about the appointment of the next high priest. Quite a few priests felt that things had gone too smoothly, for on July 20, two days before the passing of Nittatsu Shonin, two priests, Kyodo Seto of Jakunichi-bo lodging temple and Jisei Nakamura of Sessen-bo lodging temple went to see Nittatsu Shonin at the hospital. At that time, Nittatsu Shonin said to them, “I am OK. I am sorry I worried you all. I’ll be back to the head temple after spending four or five days here for recuperation, so please don’t worry.” There is no wonder that some priests expressed their concern about the too smooth announcement of the appointment of the new high priest.

Also, Nikken’s nichi-go issue came out, as introduced in the prologue of this book.

It was announced: “The decision was made. His nichi-go title is Nikken. Because his father’s nichi-go is Nikkai, he chose Nikken for his name.”

This announcement was made by Yagi at midnight and it made some priests realize that Nikken’s ascension to the position of the high priest was actually a political decision, while other priests wondered if Nichiren Shoshu would fare well under such a shallow-minded high priest. 

An elderly priest, who resided at the head temple, shared this impression: “I thought that the new high priest would be Nichiji Shonin. The headline of next day’s issue of the Shizuoka Shimbun read, ‘The successor is Abe Nichiji. However, coupled with his father’s name Nikkai, the new high priest’s name became Nikken.’ At first I thought he was playing with his name. But later on, I found out he was serious about this new name, and I became concerned about his integrity as high priest. I wonder how he is taking the nichi-go title that he received from his mentor. He really showed a poor example here. His arrogance and frivolousness concern me.”

Incidentally, there is a follow-up story about Nikken’s self-naming. Hoei Shiina, who played a vital role in making the announcement about the new high priest at the wake ceremony, became noke half a year later, and named himself Nikken (a different Chinese character for the ken part of Nikken). Because of the same pronunciation as the new high priest’s nichi-go title, Nikken asked Hisamitsu to change his nichi-go name, and Hisamitsu, following Nikken’s request, changed his name from Nikken to Nitcho.

It is obvious that Nikken obtained the position of high priest through lies and conspiracies. As we go over what actually happened before he became high priest, we see so many questionable things that surround his ascension. Later on, those young priests who left Nichiren Shoshu and formed the Shoshinkai group began to doubt Nikken’s story about receiving the heritage from the former high priest.

Nikken Talks Big During His First Audience
Now that the big issue of the selection of the new high priest was done, Nichiren Shoshu focused on carrying out various important events of the funeral of the former high priest. On July 23, the second evening of the wake, the recitation of the sutra and the chanting of daimoku continued throughout the day, and the Gakkai summer training course participants too participated in incense-offering for the late high priest. A fifteen-meter long bunting that showed the names of those assigned to the funeral was put up in the hallway on the third floor of the Grand Reception Hall. 

These names were included: Chairperson of the funeral Hoei Shiina; Vice chairpersons Kyodo Seto, secretary of the head temple, and Jisei Nakamura. Also shown were the names of those who were assigned to general affairs, funeral site, schedules, accounting, reception, food, record, information, public relations, car arrangement, priests, nokes, teachers, non-teachers, disciples, relatives, bereaved family members, lay representatives, guests, photo-taking, parking lots, and moderating. The entire Nichiren Shoshu community engaged in the smooth execution of the funeral of the late high priest.

The main funeral was conducted on July 24.

Recitation of the sutra and chanting of daimoku, which was started on the previous night, was done with different priests taking turns in leading the ceremony every half an hour. The ceremony to bid farewell to the late high priest took place at 10 AM with Nikken leading. Then the coffin was taken from the altar at the Grand Reception Hall at 10:51 AM, and the family members, relatives and disciples parted with the late high priest.

At 11:16 AM, the high priest’s coffin was carried in a procession to the Sanmon Gate while Gakkai YWD members chanted along the main path of the head temple. The hearse then departed for the Fujinomiya crematory.

Nittatsu Shonin’s ashes were carried back to the head temple to be placed at the Grand Reception Hall at 3:36 PM. Incense was offered as the sutra was recited and daimoku chanted. The private funeral thus came to a conclusion at 5 PM.

However, all the ceremonies conducted thus far were private ceremonies within Nichiren Shoshu. Nittatsu Shonin’s ashes were enshrined at the Mutsu-bo lodging where the sutra was recited and daimoku chanted. The main wake and funeral were conducted for the next three days from August 6th through 8th with participants from all over the country. A series of ceremonies were finally completed when Nittatsu Shonin’s ashes were buried at the cemetery of the successive high priests of Nichiren Shoshu on the afternoon of August 8.

Around 9:30 PM on July 23, after the main wake within Nichiren Shoshu was over, Nikken called Jundo Nose, former director of the Finance Bureau. He asked him, “How much money was paid to the wife of Nichijun Shonin to appreciate and commend her efforts over the past years when her husband passed away (in November 1959)? How much do you think we should pay to Nittatsu Shonin’s wife?” Such “appreciation” money is usually paid to the late high priest’s wife after the whole funeral is over and the family of the late high priest settles down to its normal daily life routine. Nikken, however, hurried to make this payment, perhaps in hopes that he could stamp himself as new high priest.

On August 5, Nikken conducted a “farewell oko lecture” at Josen-ji temple in Tokyo. Nikken and all danto members of Josen-ji were full of joy, congratulating each other by saying, “Our chief priest has become the new high priest.”

On that day, Nikken lost no time moving to the priests’ quarters at the head temple.

All the chief priests and other priests of the head temple stood in line at the Sanmon Gate to greet Nikken’s official move to the high priest’s quarters. They all chanted daimoku to the arriving Nikken three times, and Nikken greeted them all formally, stating: “Chief priests, teachers, each member of priests’ families, each lay believer, and all the employees of the head temple, thank you very much for greeting me here. I will reside in the priests’ quarters from today on, and fulfill my responsibilities of the chief administrator of Nichiren Shoshu and the chief priest of the head temple. I would appreciate all your support. Thank you for your effort.”

Then he had his first audience at the reception room of his quarters. All those present were quiet, waiting for Nikken’s first words. Nikken opened his mouth, saying, “Some people seem to be speaking behind my back regarding the heritage I received. But who else received the heritage besides me? If you did, why don’t you raise your hand?”

This is exactly what Nikken first said as the new high priest. He showed all these priests that he had an upper hand. All those present there were dumbfounded at Nikken’s harsh statement.

If he had received the heritage, all he had to do was to explain to them how he received it. Giving such a courteous explanation is a right way for him to show his respect to other priests and it would have quieted the controversy. His harsh remarks clearly indicated that Nikken did not even have common sense. And until today, Nikken has never given any precise explanation about how he received the heritage from the former high priest. 

In contrast to such a disrespectful remark, Nikken was seen to introduce himself here and there, saying, “I am Nikken Abe who has received the heritage this time.” It seems that some priests close to him advised him not to say such a thing. This episode shows how painful Nikken’s existence was as a high priest who received no heritage from the previous high priest.

In any case, Nikken could not show any proof to justify his statement. Nitcho Shiina, who made the announcement of Nikken’s claim at the temporary wake, once expressed his sympathy toward Nikken in this regard.

The testimony of Chief Priest Hoshin Nakajima:

“Around 1981, when Nichiren Shoshu was in turmoil because Nikken was being sued by the Shoshinkai group concerning the issue of his legitimacy as high priest, I happened to be with Rev. Nitcho Shiina in the bullet train on my way home from the head temple. He was on his way home from the head temple to Kyoto. At that time I heard this directly from Rev. Shiina, ‘The high priest seems to be having a hard time, since he only claims he received the heritage from the former high priest, but he has no evidence to support his claim.’ I was shocked to hear this from the very person who attended the executive priests’ meeting with Rev. Nichiji Hayase and made that important announcement on behalf of the new high priest.”

Here is another report: 
In November 1980, Masatomo Yamazaki discussed the issue of Nikken’s dubious heritage in the weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun. The head temple decided to have young priests issue a pamphlet to rebut Yamazaki’s contentions. 

Nikken is said to have given the following explanation to the young priests gathered:
“Even though I did receive the heritage from Nittatsu Shonin, I also suspected that somebody else might have also received it. So I asked the other priests if any one of them had received something from the former high priest. When no one else responded, I decided to disclose the fact that I had privately received the heritage from Nittatsu Shonin.”

The point he is making here is contradictory On one hand, he says he did privately receive the heritage from Nittatsu Shonin, and on the other hand, he is concerned about the possibility somebody else may have received it also.

First of all, the sole transmission of the heritage within Nichiren Shoshu is supposed to be done between one high priest and the next. If Nikken had truly received the heritage from Nittatsu Shonin, he wouldn’t have wondered whether another priest had received it also from Nittatsu Shonin. The fact that Nikken was deeply concerned about somebody else shows that Nikken’s story was a fabrication.