is a Japanese '' rekishi monogatari''. It is believed to have been written in the early

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...

around 1195. It is widely credited to

Nakayama Tadachika was a Japanese court noble and writer during the late Heian period, Heian and early Kamakura period and a member of the influential Fujiwara clan, Fujiwara family. His works are valuable historical documents describing a pivotal period in History o ...

but the actual writer is unknown. It is the third book of the four mirror series. It deals with the oldest time-period, starting with the legendary

Emperor Jimmu was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the '' Nihon Shoki'' and ''Kojiki''. His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC.Kelly, Charles F"Kofun Culture"Emperor Ninmyō was the 54th emperor of Japan, Emperor Ninmyō, Fukakusa Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Ninmyō's reign lasted from 833 to 850, during the Heian period. Traditional narrative Nin ...

. It is told by a fictitious old woman who is visited by a

bhikkhu A ''bhikkhu'' (Pali: भिक्खु, Sanskrit: भिक्षु, ''bhikṣu'') is an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. Male and female monastics ("nun", ''bhikkhunī'', Sanskrit ''bhikṣuṇī'') are members of the Sangha (Buddhist ...

while staying at

Hase-dera is the main temple of the Buzan sect of Shingon Buddhism. The temple is located in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The Main Hall is a National Treasure of Japan. Overview According to the description on , which is enshrined at Hase-dera, t ...

. All the facts are taken from ca. 1150 by Kōen, the teacher of Hōnen. "Mizukagami" refers to the reflective pool in

Japanese garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desi ...

s in which can be seen such things as bridges and cherry blossoms in its reflection.

References

* Brownlee, John S. ''Political Thought in Japanese Historical Writing: from Koyjiki (712) to Tokushi Yoron (1712)''. Waterloo, ON CA. Wilfrid Laurier Press: 1991 (p. 52). {{Authority control 12th-century Japanese books Early Middle Japanese texts Kamakura-period history books

See also

References