Editing Nichiren Buddhism (section)

=== Development in Medieval Japan ===

After Nichiren's death in 1282 the [[Kamakura shogunate]] weakened largely due to financial and political stresses resulting from defending the country from the Mongols.  It was replaced by the [[Ashikaga shogunate]] (1336–1573), which in turn was succeeded by the [[Azuchi–Momoyama period]] (1573–1600), and then the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] (1600–1868). During these time periods, collectively comprising Japan's medieval history, Nichiren Buddhism experienced considerable fracturing, growth, turbulence and decline. A prevailing characteristic of the movement in medieval Japan was its lack of understanding of Nichiren's own spiritual realization.  Serious commentaries about Nichiren's theology did not appear for almost two hundred years.  This contributed to divisive doctrinal confrontations that were often superficial and dogmatic.<ref name=Matsunaga1988 />{{rp|174}}

This long history of foundings, divisions, and mergers have led to today's 37 legally incorporated Nichiren Buddhist groups.<ref name=Stone2005 /><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u0sg9LV_rEgC&q=nichiren+temples+merge|title=An introduction to Buddhism : teachings, history and practices|last=Harvey|first=Peter|date=2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521859424|edition=Second|location=Cambridge|oclc=822518354|access-date=1 November 2020|archive-date=20 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220181011/https://books.google.com/books?id=u0sg9LV_rEgC&q=nichiren+temples+merge|url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|312}} In the modern period, Nichiren Buddhism experienced a revival, largely initiated by lay people and lay movements.<ref name=Kitagawa2010 />{{rp|93–95,122}}<ref>{{Cite book|title=Historical dictionary of new religious movements|last=Chryssides|first= George D.|date=2012|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780810861947|edition= Second|location=Lanham, Md.|oclc=828618014}}</ref>{{rp|251}}<ref name=Hardacre1984/>