As far as I understand it, Nichiren Buddhism focuses on the Lotus Sutra, and posits that individuals can attain Enlightenment in the present lifetime. One of the most famous modern practitioners of Nichiren was Ishiwara Kanji, an officer in the Kwantung Army who launched the invasion of Manchuria. He believed, as part of his practice of Nichiren Buddhism, that there would be an apocalyptic war, after which there would be a golden age of enlightenment, with Japan spreading the truth of Buddhism over the whole world.
What is the basis of this vision in the religious and philosophical traditions of Japan in general and Nichiren Buddhism in particular? Was Ishiwara just nuts, or was this a mainstream belief?
People like Ishiwara often make claim to be Nichiren Lotus Sutra Buddhists but their words and actions belie their words. There is not one exhortation to violence in the Lotus Sutra. There are several exhortations to violence by Nichiren and several in the Mahayana Nirvana Sutra to which Nichiren also upheld. Nichiren by his own admission was an imperfect human being but he always pointed his disciples and believers to the perfect Lotus Sutra. Again and again Nichiren admonished,"follow the Law and not persons."