In China, the first case of Kokushi was Hojo (法常) who lived in Northern Qi according to the volume "Kokushi" in "The Essential History of Great-Song Monks" written by Sannei (賛寧) who was the first monk in the Northern Song era.
中国では、北宋初の賛寧による『大宋僧史略』巻中「国師」によれば、北斉の法常に国師号が贈られたのが最初であるとする。