The major critic of Tamura [Yoshirō]’s presentation of Nichiren is Hanano Michiaki, a scholar of both Nichiren and medieval Tendai. Hanano opposes the move of Asai, Shigyō, Tamura, and others to exclude from the consideration of Nichiren’s thought those texts attributed to him that deal with hongaku ideas. In contrast to Tamura and the Nichiren Shū scholars, Hanano positions Nichiren firmly within the intellectual tradition of Tendai original enlightenment thought. Like them, however, Hanano sees Nichiren as emphasizing practice, in contrast to a purely theoretical and abstract Tendai hongaku doctrine, thus “elevating it [original enlightenment thought] to the realm of religion.” (Page 91-92)