Nichirō ［日朗］ (1245–1320): Also known as Chikugo-bō. One of the six senior priests nominated by Nichiren to be responsible for disseminating his teachings. He was born in Shimōsa Province, Japan. In 1254 he converted to Nichiren’s teachings along with his father and became a priest under his uncle Nisshō, another of the six senior priests. On the occasion of the Tatsunokuchi Persecution in the ninth month of 1271, the Kamakura shogunate imprisoned him and four other disciples. At this time he received what is known as Letter to Priest Nichirō in Prison from Nichiren. After Nichiren’s death, however, he did not observe his turn in the rotation system for attending to Nichiren’s tomb, and he turned against Nikkō, Nichiren’s designated successor. In a letter he submitted to the shogunate in 1285, in which he pledged to pray for the protection of the nation with the Lotus Sutra, Nichirō proclaimed himself to be a priest of the Tendai school rather than of Nichiren’s teaching. He built Hommon-ji temple at Ikegami, the place where Nichiren had died. He apparently longed for Nichiren to such an extent that in 1310 and 1317 he went to visit Nikkō to see the main statue of Nichiren. He did not change his mind, however, about doctrinal matters or with regard to supporting Nikkō.