I, Nichiren, started the propagation of the Lotus Sūtra on the 28th day of the 4th month in the 5th year of Kenchō (1253) in the district of Tōjō, Nagasa County of Awa Province. Tōjō District is now the county of Tōjō. This is where the shrine domain of the Goddess Amaterasu is located. This domain established by Mina moto Yoritomo was the second in importance among the domains of the Ise Shrine in Japan, but now it is the most important one. In the compound of the Seichōji Temple located also in the Tōjō District, there existed the Hall of the Buddha known as the Shobutsu-bō. On the south side of the Hall of the Buddha, I started preaching the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra at twelve noon. Since then till today in the second year of Kōan (1279), it has been 27 years. The Buddha revealed His true intent in the Lotus Sūtra after preaching expedient teachings for 40 years or so while Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō took more than 30 years and twenty years or so respectively to fulfill their wishes. As I have told you, the difficulties they encountered during those years were indescribable. In my case, it took twenty-seven years, and you all know about the great persecutions I encountered during this period.

Shōnin Gonan Ji, Persecution Befalling Nichiren Shōnin, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 117-118