In 1467 his father Rennyo was declared 'an enemy of Buddhism' by Enryaku-ji Temple and driven away from Kyoto; during the period Rennyo was depressed by Enryaku-ji Temple's persecution, he was forced to live in retirement, to disinherit his eldest sun Junnyo, and to transfer the family headship to Jitsunyo, who at that time was known as Mitsutanemaru (光養丸), but Rennyo regained his influence following the resurgence in Hongan-ji Temple's own power, which left the inheritance question up in the air, until eventually things went back to the way they had been, with Junnyo reinstalled as his successor.
1467年（文正2年）延暦寺から「仏敵」とされ京都を追われた父・蓮如がやむなく延暦寺に屈した時に蓮如の隠居と長男順如の廃嫡、そして当時光養丸と呼ばれていた実如への家督継承が強要されるが、本願寺の勢力回復とともに有耶無耶となり、元のように順如が法嗣とされた。