[citation needed] Despite repeated admonitions from the new High Priest Nikken and Nichiren Shōshū leadership to cease and desist, Shōshinkai went ahead with a major rally on 24 August 1980.
[citation needed] They then filed suit with a local government court on 21 January 1981 seeking to annul Nikken's appointment on the grounds that he had never been named successor by Nittatsu.
Upon the publicized notice of excommunication, a number of them filed a lawsuit seeking reinstatement, but the local court ruled that all religious claims, including the petition for annulment of Nikken's status were internal Nichiren Shoshu matters to be resolved within the sect itself.
[citation needed] The Shōshinkai continued its anti-Sōka Gakkai and anti-High Priest Nikken activities, even accepting new acolytes into the priesthood and conferring initiation ceremonies for new believers.
While many have deceased or abandoned their priesthood, only a few Shōshinkai priests have reverted to Nichiren Shōshū, and even so they were deprived of their kesa and Koromo Robe and had to start as complete beginners (kozo) as part of their punishment.
There, they haven also opened a research center called Kofu Danjo (興風談所) that has spawned books that have attracted attention from other Nichiren Buddhist organizations for their scholarly content.