Nikken Abe

Abe Nikken
阿部日顕
Personal
Born(1922-12-19)19 December 1922
Died20 September 2019(2019-09-20) (aged 96)
Setagaya, Japan
ReligionNichiren Shoshu Buddhism
SpouseMasako Abe
ChildrenShinsho Abe
Alma mater
Other names"Shinno", "Etsuyo"
Senior posting
Based inTaisekiji, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Period in office15 April 1978 – 15 December 2005
PredecessorNittatsu Hosoi
SuccessorNichinyo Hayase
Ordination28 August 1928
Previous postHead of the Nichiren Shoshu doctrinal department (Kyōgaku-bu)
67th High Priest of Nichiren Shōshū

Nikken Abe (阿部日顕, Abe Nikken; also known as Nikken Shonin; 19 December 1922 – 20 September 2019) was a Japanese Buddhist monk who served as the 67th High Priest of Nichiren Shōshū and chief priest of Taiseki-ji head Temple in Fujinomiya, Japan.[citation needed]

Before becoming High Priest, he served as the head of the doctrinal department of Nichiren Shoshu and as such was involved in the compilation of many of the school's publications. As High Priest, Abe affirmed the permanent expulsion of the Soka Gakkai on 28 November 1991 and was known for the destruction of the "Sho Hondo" in 1997 and the return of the Head Temple Taiseki-ji to earlier traditional and orthodox practices that were prevalent up to 1970. Ultimately, he reconstructed a new replacement building "Hoando" in June 2002.

He retired as High Priest on 15 December 2005 and was succeeded by Hayase Nichinyo Shonin. Abe died on 20 September 2019 in his private residence in Nakamachi Street, in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo, aged 96.[citation needed]