In ancient Japanese, "mottainai" had various meanings, including a sense of gratitude mixed with shame for receiving greater favor from a superior than is properly merited by one's station in life. Although the word mottainai is written in Chinese characters, it was created in Japan and is based on Buddhist philosophy.[citation needed] One of the earliest appearances of the word "mottainai" is in the book Genpei Jōsuiki (A Record of the Genpei War, ca. 1247).