Background
Ōtani Kosho was born in 1911 in Kyoto, Japan. Otani was born into a noble family.
大谷 光照
Ōtani Kosho was born in 1911 in Kyoto, Japan. Otani was born into a noble family.
In 1927, when Otani was 15 years old, he succeeded Kozui, whose nephew he was, the office as head of Nishi Hongan-ji and the associated leadership of his Buddhist school.
Since 1931 he has been Chief Abbot of the Nishi Honganji Temple, one of the head temples of the Shinshu Sect. In 1955, 1961 and 1969 Otani was also elected chairman of the Federation of Buddhist Schools in Japan.
His cousin was Hirohito, the 124th Tenno.
