Indeed! My American ex-wife was a devotee for some time before I met her — but of the cult like wing of Nichiren, Sokka Gokai. It is still a huge movement in Japan. And I have often wondered if it is an offshoot of Pure Land or has a separate origin. I think sacralizing a chant helps the devotee concentrate while meditating, and perhaps it triggers something mystical….but there were some very negative things about Sokka Gokai too - like how you would be cursed if you got parts of the prayer ritual wrong. I like worshiping nature better myself.