Within Nichiren Shōshū, the life of the community is shaped by a clearly defined temple-centered hierarchy that radiates outward from Taiseki-ji, the head temple. Taiseki-ji functions as the spiritual and administrative heart of the tradition, with the High Priest exercising ultimate authority over doctrine, priestly appointments, and temple administration. All other temples are doctrinally and administratively subordinate to this head temple, so that teaching and ritual practice remain unified across regions and countries. This structure reflects a vision in which the flow of authority is meant to safeguard the purity of faith and practice rather than to create independent local bodies.

Local temples form the basic unit of religious life for practitioners. Each is headed by a resident chief priest, sometimes supported by assistant priests, who guides believers in chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, reciting the Lotus Sutra, and observing the various ceremonies that mark the rhythm of Buddhist life. These temples maintain their own enshrined Gohonzon and keep records of the lay believers associated with them. While each temple may be a distinct legal entity in its own country, it remains spiritually and organizationally bound to Taiseki-ji through the chain of priestly authority.

Within the sphere of each temple, lay believers are organized into smaller, geographically based units that foster mutual support and shared practice. These are often described as chapters, districts, or local groups, and they allow members to gather for chanting, study, and guidance closer to home. Lay leaders in these units are appointed in coordination with the temple priest and serve as coordinators rather than independent authorities. Their role is to help transmit the temple’s guidance, encourage consistent practice, and support the community’s efforts in propagation and pilgrimage.

This pattern of organization extends beyond Japan into international settings, where temples are established according to the same hierarchical principles. Overseas temples are staffed by priests dispatched under the direction of the High Priest and are expected to mirror the temple–chapter–group structure found in the tradition’s homeland. In every case, doctrinal, ceremonial, and administrative decisions move from the High Priest through the temple hierarchy to the local congregations. The result is a priest-centered, temple-based network in which local chapters and groups function as living extensions of the temple’s spiritual life, rather than as separate lay institutions.