Nichiji

• Born: 1250

Nichiji was a follower of Nichiren, and is known for his efforts to spread Nichiren Buddhism in the far north of Japan, traveling as far as Ezo, and possibly the Siberian mainland.

As a young man, he accompanied Nichiren into exile on Sado Island. Known for his skill at prose and poetry, he served Nichiren for a time as his personal scribe, before leaving at age 46 to travel north, to spread the faith. He is believed to have traveled deep into Ainu territory, and may have gone as far as the Siberian mainland; there are no records indicating any knowledge of his return.

References

• William Theodore de Bary, Sources of Japanese Tradition, vol 1, Second Edition, Columbia University Press (2001), 294.