Hoshina Gorō Tarō ［星名五郎太郎］ (n.d.): A lay follower of Nichiren (1222–1282), who lived in Kazusa Province, Japan, which bordered Awa Province, Nichiren’s birthplace. Hoshina is said to have been a retainer of Sakuma Hyōgo, the lord of Okitsu in Kazusa, and converted to Nichiren’s teaching when Nichiren returned to his native province in the autumn of 1264 and propagated his teachings in the vicinity. From the single extant letter called Reply to Hoshina Gorō Tarō sent to him by Nichiren in 1267, Hoshina seems to have previously been a follower of the True Word (Shingon) school before converting to Nichiren’s teachings.