Nikō 日向 (1253–1314), one of the Six Senior Disciples (roku-rōsō 六老僧) of 日蓮 Nichiren, and after the death of Nichiren in 1282 one of the principal figures of the Mt. Minobu branch of the school — i.e. the Nichiren-shū mainstream line, as opposed to the Nikkō / Fuji-monryū branch that founded Nichiren Shōshū. Nikō entered Mt. Minobu under Nichiren c. 1278 and was one of the four monks designated as Mt. Minobu sōmu (administrator) before Nichiren’s death. After 1282 he was the principal voice for keeping the Mt. Minobu community together against the Hakii Sanenaga 波木井實長 lay-protector’s adoption of Shintō kami worship — the dispute that led to the Shimoyama-zoku split with 日興 Nikkō in 1289. He was the principal recorder of the Onkō kikigaki KR6t0411, the Mt. Minobu counterpart to Nikkō’s Ongi kuden. The DILA authority id is A001252.
He should not be confused with 日興 Nikkō (1246–1333), the founder of the Fuji-monryū / Nichiren Shōshū branch, with whom he was a contemporary and doctrinal rival.