Nihon Ryōiki (Middle & Lower Volumes): Japan's Oldest Buddhist Tale Collection

Hidden within the tranquil mountain temple of Raigō-in in Ohara, Kyoto, lies one of Japan's most remarkable literary treasures — the Nihon Ryōiki, Middle and Lower Volumes. Designated as a National Treasure, this manuscript from the late Heian period is the oldest surviving copy of the middle and lower sections of Japan's first Buddhist tale collection. For visitors seeking a deeper encounter with Japanese literary and spiritual heritage, this manuscript and the temple that preserved it offer a profoundly moving experience.

What Is the Nihon Ryōiki?

The Nihon Ryōiki, formally known as Nihonkoku Genpō Zen'aku Ryōiki (Record of Miraculous Events of Good and Evil in Japan), is the oldest known collection of Buddhist tales (setsuwa) in Japanese literary history. Compiled by the monk Kyōkai of Yakushi-ji Temple in Nara around 822 CE during the early Heian period, the work gathers 116 stories across three volumes. Written in a distinctive form of Sino-Japanese prose, these tales illustrate the Buddhist principle of karmic retribution — the idea that good and evil deeds bring corresponding rewards and punishments in this life and the next.

The stories span a wide range of Japanese society, featuring emperors and aristocrats, monks and commoners, from the reign of Emperor Yūryaku in the 5th century through to the early 9th century. They recount miraculous events, journeys to the afterlife, and the workings of karma in everyday life, making the Nihon Ryōiki not only a religious text but also a vivid window into the daily lives and beliefs of ancient Japan. This pioneering collection influenced all subsequent setsuwa literature, including the celebrated Konjaku Monogatarishū (Anthology of Tales from the Past).

The Raigō-in Manuscript: A National Treasure

The Raigō-in manuscript of the Nihon Ryōiki contains the middle and lower volumes and was copied during the late Heian period (approximately the 11th–12th century). It was designated as a National Treasure on June 11, 1977. The manuscript was discovered relatively recently and its significance to the study of Japanese literature cannot be overstated.

Before the discovery of this manuscript, the only surviving Heian-period copy of the Nihon Ryōiki was the Kōfuku-ji Temple manuscript, which contains only the upper volume (also a National Treasure, dated to 904 CE). The Raigō-in copy is therefore the oldest surviving manuscript of the middle and lower volumes, making it indispensable for textual research. Critically, this manuscript nearly completely preserves the prefaces to both the middle and lower volumes — texts that were missing or fragmentary in all other known copies. These prefaces provide essential insights into the author's intentions and the original structure of the work.

Together, the Kōfuku-ji upper volume and the Raigō-in middle and lower volumes allow scholars to reconstruct the full text of the Nihon Ryōiki for the first time, filling gaps that had puzzled researchers for centuries. The manuscript is currently deposited at the Kyoto National Museum for conservation.

Why Was It Designated a National Treasure?

The National Treasure designation recognizes the Raigō-in manuscript's exceptional value on several levels. As the oldest surviving copy of the middle and lower volumes, it preserves textual details found in no other manuscript. The near-complete prefaces to volumes two and three reveal the author Kyōkai's philosophical framework and editorial approach. The manuscript also supplements and corrects readings in other surviving copies, making it essential for understanding how the Nihon Ryōiki was originally composed and transmitted. For scholars of Japanese literature, linguistics, and Buddhist history, this manuscript is an irreplaceable primary source.

Raigō-in Temple: Guardian of the Manuscript

Raigō-in is a Tendai Buddhist temple located deep in the verdant mountains of Ohara, in Kyoto's Sakyō Ward. Founded in the mid-9th century by Jikaku Daishi Ennin, the third patriarch of the Tendai sect, it was established as a training hall for shōmyō — a form of Buddhist chanting that has profoundly influenced Japanese music. Ennin named the area Gyōzan (Fish Mountain) after the temple in China where he had studied this practice.

In 1109, the monk Ryōnin revitalized the temple and went on to found the Yūzū Nenbutsu sect, a school of Pure Land Buddhism that taught the recitation of Amida Buddha's name could benefit all beings, not just the individual practitioner. The temple's main hall, rebuilt in 1533 after repeated fires, houses three Important Cultural Property statues from the Fujiwara period: Yakushi Nyorai (the Healing Buddha), Amida Nyorai, and Shaka Nyorai (Shakyamuni Buddha).

The temple's treasure house, known as the Nyorai-zō, preserved over 600 sacred texts and documents, including works in the hand of Ryōnin himself. It was within this remarkable collection that the Nihon Ryōiki manuscript was kept for centuries before its modern rediscovery.

Highlights and Attractions

While the Nihon Ryōiki manuscript itself is deposited at the Kyoto National Museum and is not on permanent display, Raigō-in and its surroundings offer visitors a deeply enriching cultural experience.

Exploring Ohara

Raigō-in is situated in Ohara, a rural village in the mountains north of Kyoto that has been a center of Tendai Buddhism for over a thousand years. The area is known as the birthplace of shōmyō Buddhist chanting and offers several other outstanding temples within easy walking distance.

• Sanzen-in Temple — The principal temple of Ohara, famous for its moss garden, the Ōjō Gokuraku-in hall housing an Amida Buddha statue, and charming stone Jizō figures hidden among the moss.
• Hōsen-in Temple — Known for its stunning framed garden view through pillar-framed windows, a 700-year-old pine tree, and matcha tea service in the tatami hall.
• Jakkō-in Temple — A nunnery associated with Empress Kenreimon'in, the tragic figure from the Tale of the Heike, located on the opposite side of the valley.
• Shōrin-in Temple — The lower temple (Shimo-in) of the Ohara complex, historically paired with Raigō-in as the upper temple (Kami-in).

Ohara is also known for its beautiful autumn foliage, traditional pickled vegetables (shibazuke), and hot spring ryokan inns that opened after the discovery of a natural hot spring source in 2004.

Visiting Tips

Raigō-in is slightly more remote than other Ohara temples, requiring a 10–15 minute walk beyond Sanzen-in along a scenic riverside path. The walk itself is part of the experience, with the forest growing denser and quieter as you approach. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended, as some paths can be uneven. The temple is open year-round and is especially beautiful during autumn foliage season (November) and the fresh green season (May). Special treasure exhibitions are typically held in May and November.