A history book written entirely in Kanji by Kouen, a priest of Mount Hiei, in the late Heian period. It is said to have been written in 30 volumes, of which only 16 volumes and an abridged version are known to still exist.
According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Sengaikyou), a collection of myths and geography compiled in China from the Warring States period to the Han Dynasty, Fusang is a sacred tree and place name located in the east of China, and is also mentioned as a country located in the east of China in the Nanshi, a history of the four provinces of Sui, Southern Qi, Chen, and Liang.
In other words, Fusang refers to Japan, and the name of the book "Brief History of Fusang" implies that its writings are concerned with the history of Japan.
It is said that the author, Kouen, who was the teacher of Hounen, the founder of the Pure Land (Joudou) sect of Buddhism, lamented the Latter Day of the Dharma (a time said to come in Buddhism when the scriptures' influence decline) and incarnated himself as a snake to await the coming of Maitreya (Miroku).
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