Tanaka Chigaku

A religious leader from the Meiji to Showa period. Founder of the Kokuchukai. Born in Nihonbashi, Edo. His real name was Tomoe nosuke. He also wrote the names Shou and Harai. His father, the doctor Tada Genryu, was a believer in the Lotus Sutra. He lost his parents at a young age and was ordained at Myokaku-ji Temple of the Nichiren sect in Ichinoe, Edogawa, Tokyo, and studied at the Enoki Daikyoin and other temples. However, he soon became skeptical of the teachings, and returned to secular life. In 1880 (Meiji 13), he founded the Renge-kai in Yokohama, aiming to restore the teachings of his ancestors and reform the sect. In 1884, he moved to Tokyo and founded the Rissho Ankakukai from the perspective of lay Buddhism. In 1887, he instituted Japan's first Buddhist wedding ceremony, and also established the Shishio Bunko in Kamakura as a place of teaching. Furthermore, in 1914 (Taisho 3), he unified the teachings and practices of various related groups and founded the Kokuchukai, an organization of believers that was not based on the temple parishioner system. During this time, he perfected the organizational teachings of Nichirenism and also founded the Japanese national polity theory. He edited and wrote over 200 books, including "A Comprehensive View of Nichirenism's Teachings" and "Honka Seiden Daijirin," and he particularly influenced many people, including Takayama Chogyu, who was inspired by "Shumon no Ishin," Anesaki Masaharu (Chofu), Ishiwara Kanji, Miyazawa Kenji, Nakazato Kaizan, and Tanaka Mitsuaki.

[Sensaburo Nakahira June 19, 2018]

"The Complete Works of Shishioh, by Tanaka Chigaku, 36 volumes in total (1931-1940, Dosho Kankokai, Shinsekaisha)" ▽ "Tanaka Chigaku, by Tanaka Koho (1977, Shinsekaisha)" ▽ "A Brief Biography of Professor Tanaka Chigaku, by Tanaka Yoshitani (Shinsekaisha, Shishioh Bunko)" ▽ "Portraits of Professor Tanaka Chigaku, supervised by Tanaka Yoshitani (Shinsekaisha, Shishioh Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治～昭和期の宗教家。国柱会(こくちゅうかい)の創始者。江戸・日本橋の生まれ。本名巴之助(ともえのすけ)。鐘宇(しょうう)、巴雷(はらい)と号した。父の医師多田玄竜(ただげんりゅう)は、法華(ほっけ)信者。幼にして父母を失い、東京・江戸川一之江の日蓮宗妙覚寺で得度、二本榎(えのき)大教院などに学んだが、やがてその教学を疑い、還俗(げんぞく)して1880年（明治13）に横浜に蓮華(れんげ)会をおこして祖道復古、宗門改革を目ざした。1884年には東京に進出して在家仏教の立場から立正安国会を創立、1887年には日本最初の仏教結婚式を制定、また教学の府として鎌倉に師子王(ししおう)文庫を設立する。さらに1914年（大正3）には、有縁(うえん)の諸団体を統合して教行を統一して、檀家(だんか)制度によらない信仰者の組織である国柱会を創始した。この間、日蓮主義組織教学を大成、また日本国体学を創建した。編著は『日蓮主義教学大観』『本化聖典大辞林』など200種に及ぶが、なかでも『宗門之維新』に啓発された高山樗牛(たかやまちょぎゅう)をはじめ、姉崎正治(あねさきまさはる)（嘲風(ちょうふう)）、石原莞爾(いしわらかんじ)、宮沢賢治、中里介山(なかざとかいざん)、田中光顕(たなかみつあき)ら多くの人々を感化した。

［中平千三郎　2018年6月19日］

『田中智学著『師子王全集』全36巻（1931～1940・同書刊行会、真世界社）』▽『田中香浦著『田中智学』（1977・真世界社）』▽『田中芳谷著『田中智学先生略伝』（真世界社・師子王文庫）』▽『田中芳谷監修『田中智学先生影譜』（真世界社・師子王文庫）』

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