Nichiren Shoshu and Buddhism Buddhism was founded by Nichiren Daishonin around 1253 in Japan, also known as the Hokke or Lotus sects of Japanese Buddhism, teaches that Faith in Lotus sutra is the only source and sole requirement of salvation. He was born in 1222 in Kominato, Japan, the son of a fisherman. For years he studied and trained at the Mt. Hiei monastery center of tendai Buddhism. He then went on to preach at several places, but mainly at Kamakura. It was in 1253 when he actually founded his sect (Nichiren Shoshu) of Buddhism, but before that he had already begun to depart from Tendai teaching when he emphasized on belief in the scriptures rather than understanding of i