The contents of the picture scroll match the story marked down in "Godansho," written by OE no Masafusa, and the story is about KIBI no Makibi, a Japanese envoy sent to Tang Dynasty China, who succeeds in returning to Japan after being imprisoned during his visit to Tang by solving arduous tasks: "Monzen" (Wen-hsuan, ancient Chinese poems) Igo (board game of capturing territory) and more set by the Emperor of Tang, with the guidance of his companion ABE no Nakamaro who passed away and became a ghost.
絵巻の内容は、大江匡房の『江談抄』に記される物語と一致しており、遣唐使の吉備真備が在唐中に幽閉され、鬼（幽霊）となった安倍仲麻呂に導かれて、皇帝による『文選(書物)』や囲碁による無理難題を解いて、遂に帰国を達成する、というものである。