Nitchō (1) [日頂] (1252–1317): Also known as Iyo-bō. One of the six senior priests designated by Nichiren. He was born in Omosu Village of Fuji District of Suruga Province, Japan. After his father’s death, he and his mother went to live in Kamakura. She later married Toki Jōnin, who adopted Nitchō as his own son. In 1267 Nitchō became a disciple of Nichiren. When Toki Jōnin converted Guhō-ji, a temple of the Tendai school, to Nichiren’s teaching in 1277, Nitchō became its first chief priest. During the Atsuhara Persecution, at the request of Nichiren, he temporarily sheltered Nisshū and Nichiben, the priests who had been expelled from Ryūsen-ji temple. After Nichiren’s death, Nitchō failed to appear for his turn in the rotation system for attending to Nichiren’s tomb, and for this Toki Jōnin disowned him. In 1291 he declared himself a priest of the Tendai school and disassociated himself from Nichiren’s teaching. In 1302, however, he returned to serve Nikkō at Omosu.
(2) [日澄] (1262–1310): A disciple of Nikkō, Nichiren’s designated successor. He was a son of Toki Jōnin, one of the leading followers of Nichiren who lived in Shimōsa Province in Japan. Though originally a disciple of Nikō, Nitchō found that Nikō had gone against Nichiren’s teachings and in 1300 gave his allegiance to Nikkō. He was very learned and well versed in both Buddhist and non-Buddhist literature, and became the first chief instructor of Omosu Seminary. Nikkō had him write the draft of The Guidelines for Believers of the Fuji School.