He is known as the author of Japan's first collection of Buddhist parables known as "Nihon Ryoiki" (more properly, "Nihonkoku genho zenaku ryoiki," a set of three books of Buddhist stories which were written in the late 8th and early 9th century).
日本最初の仏教説話集『日本霊異記（日本国現報善悪霊異記）』の著者として知られる。