Editing Nichiren Buddhism (section)

==== As a form of socialism ====
Nichirenism also includes several intellectuals and activists who reacted against the prewar ultranationalistic interpretations and argued for an egalitarian and socialist vision of society based on Nichiren's teachings and the Lotus Sutra. These figures ran against the growing tide of Japanese militarism and were subjected to political harassment and persecution.<ref name=Habito1999 />{{rp|425}} A leading figure in this group was [[Girō Seno'o|Girō Seno]] who formed the [[Girō Seno'o#Youth League for Revitalizing Buddhism|New Buddhist Youth League]] (''Shinkō Bukkyō Seinen Dōmei'').

Originally influenced by the ideals of Tanaka and Honda, Giro Seno came to reject ultra-nationalism and argued for humanism, socialism, pacifism, and democracy as a new interpretation of Nichiren's beliefs. He was imprisoned for two years under the [[Peace Preservation Law#Public Security Preservation Law of 1925|National Security Act]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Buddhism and the political process|first=James Mark |last=Shields |page=223 |chapter=Opium Eaters: Buddhism as Revolutionary Politics |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YZAYDAAAQBAJ&q=nichiren+lay+pre-war&pg=PA223 |others=Kawanami, Hiroko|isbn=9781137574008|location=Basingstoke, Hampshire|oclc=949365321|date=29 April 2016 }}</ref> The same fate was also endured by [[Tsunesaburo Makiguchi]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tmakiguchi.org/religiousreformer/asreligiousreformer/detainmentinterrogation.html|title=Tsunesaburo Makiguchi|author=Tsunesaburo Makiguchi Website Committee|work=Religious Reformer|publisher=Soka Gakkai|access-date=2 January 2019|archive-date=1 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190601032720/https://www.tmakiguchi.org/religiousreformer/asreligiousreformer/detainmentinterrogation.html|url-status=live}}</ref> who refused the religious dictum of [[Shinto]] display accepted by [[Nichiren Shoshu]] for the ''Soka Kyoiku Gakkai'', his lay organization composed of primarily secretaries and teachers until it grew to become [[Soka Gakkai]] after [[World War II]].