Head Temple and Branch Polity

Head temple and branch polity is the governance form recorded in this atlas for religious bodies organised as one head temple over affiliated branch temples, common among Buddhist schools of East Asia. Wikipedia's article on Nichiren Shoshu gives a clear example of the pattern, stating that its head temple Taiseki-ji is located on the lower slopes of Mount Fuji in Japan. In this atlas the entity stands for the governance form itself, so denominations, religious orders and societies governed this way can be grouped and compared under it, while each member entry keeps its own governance facts and sources.