Kenshōkai

The Kenshōkai main headquarters in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.

Fuji Taiseki-ji Kenshōkai (冨士大石寺顕正会 — English: Mount Fuji True Revival Group) is a Japanese new religious movement derived from Nichiren Buddhism. Kenshōkai was founded as a lay group affiliated with Nichiren Shōshū in 1942 in the Myokoji Temple in Shinagawa ward in Tokyo, and was originally called Myōshinkō (妙信講). After engaging in conflict with fellow Hokkeko members, it transferred to Myoenji Temple in Sumida, Tokyo. It considers the temple Taiseki-ji to possess the true Gohonzon of Nichiren, although it does not itself control Taiseki-ji. The current headquarters are located in Junō-chō, Ōmiya-ku, Saitama Prefecture.

By 1963, the explosive growth of Soka Gakkai caused Nichiren Shōshū to demand that Myōshinkō cease some of its own proselytizing activities. In 1973, Myōshinkō resumed publishing its own newspaper and began protesting the Gakkai's plans to build a massive, modern-style building at Taiseki-ji. In 1974, it held a large protest against the Gakkai and was subsequently excommunicated from Nichiren Shōshū due to its attempt to place a lawsuit against High Priest Nittatsu Hosoi Shonin for tolerating Soka Gakkai influence.

In 1978, Myōshinkō legally changed its corporation name to Kenshōkai; in 1996, the name "Nichiren Shōshū" was removed from Kenshōkai's legal name, so that it is effectively no longer claiming to be the true Nichiren Shōshū.

According to Jaqueline Stone, Kenshōkai represents the "(...) hardline Nichirenist position, promoting a rigorous Lotus exclusivism and the elimination of Dharma slander for the welfare of Japan and the world."[1] The nationalistic group[2] is considered one of the fastest-growing and least studied religious movements in Japan.[1] By its own account it has 1,370,000 members[2] most of which in the Kantō and Chūbu areas. Unlike Soka Gakkai, it belongs to no political organization.

As of 4 July 2006, the Overseas Bureau of Nichiren Shoshu by decree of 68th High Priest Nichinyo Shonin maintains that Kenshokai is still not yet part of the lay temple organization.[3]

The present chairman of Kenshokai is Shohei Asai, the son of Jinbe Asai, the original founder of Myoshinko.

References

  1. 1 2 Stone, Jacqueline (2012). "The Sin of "Slandering the True Dharma"". Granoff; P E ; Shinohara, Koichi (eds.), Sins and Sinners: Perspectives from Asian Religions. Brill. p. 147. ISBN 9004229469.
  2. 1 2 Pokorny, Lukas (2011). Neue religiöse Bewegungen in Japan heute: ein Überblick [New Religious Movements in Japan Today: a Survey]. In: Hödl, Hans Gerald and Veronika Futterknecht, ed. Religionen nach der Säkularisierung. Festschrift für Johann Figl zum 65. Geburtstag, Wien: LIT, p. 187
  3. ↑ http://www.nichirenshoshu.or.jp/page/eng/topix/200607_e.htm
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