Five small figures can be seen beside a waterside gazebo, several of whom have run to the shore and bow with clamped hands to see off a monk standing behind a boat sailing on the high waves. An inscription above the painting suggests that the work was a gift from a friend to a monk who had come to study from Japan and was now going to return home. The inscriptions were written by Zhong Tangjie and Dou Congzhou (1135-96), two of Zhu Xi’s (1130-1200) leading disciples. They praise the outstanding knowledge and character of the man known simply as “Shonin,” who came from Japan to Southern Song China, and reminisce about the days when they met in Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province), discussed Buddhism and poetry, enjoyed banquets, and visited scenic spots, and expresses sadness at their parting.

Based on the accounts of Zhong Tangjie and Dou Congzhou, the above events are believed to have taken place around the 5th year of the Shaoxi era (1194). The Edo period Confucian scholar Ito Togai (1670-1736) examined this painting and named it “A Picture of the Return of Zen Master Eisai to Japan.” Since then, it has been highly valued as a picture of Eisai (1141-1215) returning to Japan. Subsequent research has suggested other candidates for the monk who returned from the Southern Song, but they have yet to be identified.

Publications
*Hibai Yoko – Selected Catalogue from the Tokiwayama Bunko, The Tokiwayama Foundation, 1967 (see commentary by Hisao Sugahara)
*Treasures of Tokiwayama Bunko Foundation – Selected Masterpieces: Calligraphy and Ink Paintings, Tokiwayama Bunko Foundation,2003 (see commentary by Masaaki Itakura)
*Selected Masterpieces from the Treasures of Tokiwayama Bunko Foundation – Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Tokiwayama Bunko Foundation, Tokiwayama Bunko Foundation,2023 (see commentary by Mizuki Uematsu)
*Kokka No.1534 Special Issue: The Song and Yuan Art in Tokiwayama Bunko Foundation, Kokkasha, 2023 (see commentary by Masaaki Itakura)