An illuminated manuscript composed of a single scroll of paper, it illustrates the foundation of, and the miracles associated with, the Kokawa-dera Buddhist temple [ja] in the former Kii Province (currently in Wakayama Prefecture).

Originating in Japan in the sixth or seventh century through trade with the Chinese Empire, emakimono art spread widely among the aristocracy in the Heian period.

The themes of the stories were very varied: illustrations of novels, historical chronicles, religious texts, biographies of famous people, humorous or fantastic anecdotes, etc.

The narrative paintings, and especially the emakimono telling the story of the founding of temples or the lives of famous monks, were also fertile ground for Buddhist proselytism.

[9] The paintings also observe a regular composition in three planes: a natural foreground (rocks, trees) serving to create depth in the scene; the figures and landscape elements (buildings, roads, fields, etc.)

[13] The narration is based on the repetition of scenes, fundamentally almost unchanged like the representation of the temple or the hunter's hut, in order to illustrate a succession of consecutive events.

[16] This particular emakimono accurately illustrates the daily life of the Japanese at the very beginning of the Kamakura period, especially in its portrayal of ordinary people and local warriors.

A study by Kanagawa University presents in detail the elements of daily life illustrated by the five paintings of the scroll, including residences, clothing, activities and works, trips, food, amenities such as bridges, and also the temple.