Myoko Naganuma

Myōkō Naganuma
Born	Masa Naganuma December 25, 1889 Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Died	September 10, 1957
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation	Vice-President of Risshō Kōsei Kai
Known for	Religious work
Title	Co-Founder Myoko, Great Bodhisattva of Compassion
Term	1943-1957
Predecessor	None
Successor	Rev. Nichiko Niwano

Myōkō Naganuma (長沼妙佼, Naganuma Myōkō^?, 1889–1957) was the co-founder and first vice-president of the Buddhist religious sect Risshō Kōsei Kai.

She was born as Masa Naganuma on December 25, 1889 in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. At the age of sixteen she was adopted by her older sister, but soon left for Tokyo. In Tokyo she found work as a maid, but later worked in an army munitions factory. Soon she fell ill and went to live with her uncle in the country. She later married and had a daughter, but the child died at age two. Myoko divorced her husband because he mishandled their money and moved back to Tokyo. In Tokyo she married again and opened a food stand to make money, selling ice and sweet baked potatoes. She fell ill very often and hemorrhaged many times. It was at this time she encountered Mr. Nikkyō Niwano and he began to give religious guidance to her. Her second husband however, was unable to deal with her new beliefs and soon left her. He would later marry a member of Risshō Kōsei Kai and receive guidance from Ms. Naganuma.

Ms. Naganuma had met Mr. Nikkyō Niwano because he delivered milk to her house. At this time she was sickly and he encouraged her to put faith in the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and to practice Reiyūkai Buddhism. She did and her health improved, after this she began to work with Mr. Niwano in the missionary field. The two became close friends, despite the age difference between the two, Ms. Naganuma being seventeen years his senior. In 1938 the two attended a Reiyūkai meeting where the leadership made comments about the Lotus Sutra being outdated. Both agreed that they could not belong to a group that held such views. They decided to found Risshō Kōsei Kai and on March 5, 1938 held the founding meeting at Mr. Niwano's house. She became the Vice-President and was known for being able to receive messages from the spirit world and being very devoted to the faith. She supported Rev. Niwano and Risshō Kōsei Kai, traveling with him and giving guidance to members.

In later years her health worsened. She developed cataracts to the point of nearly being blind. She would also be bedridden for weeks on end. Then, in 1948 she received an operation on for breast cancer.

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