Fujimon School (富士門流)
Fujimon School is one of the generic names for numbers of honzan temples (head temples) and their branch temples in Nichiren Sect, which succeed the dharma lineage of Nikko, who was one of 6 high-caliber disciples of Nichiren. There are also Nikkomon School, Taisekiji School, and so on, as the old generic names used in and from the medieval period and the early-modern period.
They once formed a unified sect in the Meiji period, and after that, going through splits and uniting with the Nichiren Sect, from 8 major honzan temples of Fujimon School, 5 of them formed an independent sect, starting with Nichiren Sho Sect, and 3 of them, belonging to the Nichiren Sect as an organization, kept Nichiren Honbutsu Ron (a creed which regard Nichiren as the principal image) of Shoretsu School, which is a tradition in this monryu (lineage).
Creed
They belong to the Shoretsu School, which divides their dependent sutra, twenty-eight chapters of Hokke-kyo Sutra (Lotus Sutra), into two and call the first half 'Shakumon' and the second half 'Honmon,' and regard the master secrets of the Hokke-kyo Sutra to be included in Honmon. (Against this, a school which regards the twenty-eight chapters to be handled as unified sutra is called 'Icchi School').
They regard Nichiren as 'Kuon no Honbutsu' (eternal principal image).
The Main Temples of Fujimon School and Their Belonging Sects
Fuji Gozan (5 temples of Fujimon School in Shizuoka Prefecture)
Taiseki-ji Temple (Nichiren Sho Sect)
Omosu Honmon-ji Temple (Nichiren Sect)
Nishiyama Honmon-ji Temple (independent)
Myoren-ji Temple (Fujinomiya City) (Nichiren Sho Sect)
Koizumi Kuon-ji Temple (Nichiren Sect)
Komon Hachi Honzan (8 honzan temples succeeding the dharma lineage of Nikko)
Fuji Gozan
Yobo-ji Temple (Kyoto Prefecture, Nichiren Hon Sect)
Hota Myohon-ji Temple (Chiba Prefecture, independent)
Izu Jitsujo-ji Temple (Shizuoka Prefecture, Nichiren Sect)
History
In old days they called themselves Fujimon School, Nikkomon School, and Taiseki-ji School, and even though they did not form a strong unified organization like that seen in the Jodo Shinshu (the True Pure Land Sect of Buddhism), they were connected loosely through personal and academic exchanges.
After the Haibutsu-kishaku (a movement to abolish Buddhism) which followed the Meiji Restoration, the Meiji government came out with Isshu-Ikkancho system (a system in which each sect was allowed only one chief abbot) against every Buddhist sect, and in 1872, a number of schools which had Nichiren as the founder formed the Nichiren Sect. At first, in 1874, this Nichiren Sect was split into Icchi School and Shoretsu School, and Fujimon School belonged to Shoretsu School. Further in 1876, from the discrepancies of creed and monryu, Shoretsu School of Nichiren Sect was dissolved, and Fujimon School organized Honmon Sect as a unified religious community, which was formed by honzan temples and their branch temples of Komon Hachi Honzan. Its shumuin (office for religious management) were put in Omosu Honmon-ji Temple and its organizational systems, such as the selection of the head of the sect in rotations of Hachi Honzan, were arranged, and in 1899, it changed its name to Honmon Sect.
However in 1900, Taiseki-ji Temple and its eighty-seven branch temples separated as Fuji School of Nichiren Sect, and in June 1912, changed its name to Nichiren Sho Sect and has kept its form until the present day.
In 1941, the authority pressured a number of Buddhist schools with the same founder to be unified, and 9 schools of the Nichiren Sect were unified in to 4 schools. As for Fujimon School, Nichiren Sho Sect kept its independence, but Honmon Sect, along with Kenpon Hokke Sect and Nichiren Sect, carried out 'Sanpa Godo' (3 joined sects).
In 1945, by the end of the war, the demand for unity disappeared, but 7 honzan temples and their former branch temples of Fujimon School did not regain their independence as a unified sect,
Twelve temples, including 3 honzan temples, Omosu Honzan-ji Temple, Koizumi Kuon-ji Temple, and Izu Jitsujo-ji Temple, their former branch temples, and the former branch temples of Nishiyama Honmon-ji Temple, kept their 'Godo.'
Yoho-ji Temple and about fifty branch temples belonging to it became independent from Nichiren Sect as Nichiren Hon Sect in 1950. Thirty-four former branch temples kept 'Godo' and remained in Nichiren Sect.
Myoren-ji Temple (Fujinomiya City) and its former 6 branch temples joined Nichiren Sho Sect in December 1950. Former 1 branch temple kept 'Godo' and remained in Nichiren Sect.
Nishiyama Honmon-ji Temple joined Nichiren Sho Sect alone by honzan temple itself in March 1957. Later became an independent religious corporation.
Hota Myohon-ji Temple and its former 4 branch temples joined Nichiren Sho Sect in April 1957. In 1993, Hota Myohon-ji Temple became an independent religious corporation. Former 9 branch temples kept 'Godo' and remained in Nichiren Sect.
Omosu Honmon-ji Temple, which was former sohonzan (grand head temple) of Honmon Sect with shumuin, is counted as one of the 7 grand honzan temples of Nichiren Sect, and with other honzan temples and branch temples of Fujimon School, keeps its original creed as Nikkomon School inside the Nichiren Sect, which has Icchi School and Shaka Honbutsu Ron (creed which regards Shaka as the principal image) as its mainstream.
Omosu Honmon-ji Temple and its former thirty-six branch temples
Koizumi Kuon-ji Temple and its former 4 branch temples
Izu Jitsujo-ji Temple and its former 4 branch temples
Former 1 branch temple of Myoren-ji Temple (Fujinomiya City)
Former 9 branch temples of Hota Myohon-ji Temple
Former thirty-four branch temples of Kyoto Yoho-ji Temple
Former twelve branch temples of Nishiyama Honmon-ji Temple.