Oda Tokuno (1860–1911, Ikuta Tokuno before February 1891), a priest of the Shinshu Otani sect of Buddhism, arrived at Bangkok as the first Japanese student to study Thai Buddhism on 21st March 1888. His dispatch to Bangkok was decided suddenly after Phya Bhaskarawongse (1849–1920) and Japanese leading 3 monks exchanged their views on Buddhism at Rokumeikan, Tokyo on 10–11 February 1888. Phya Bhaskarawongse was sent to Tokyo by King Chualongkorn as the ambassador to exchange the instruments of ratification of the Declaration of Amity and Commerce. Not only was he the best intellectual of Siam at that period, he was familiar with Thai Buddhism and European Buddhist studies.

In 1878 Phya Bhaskarawongse compiled and published ธรรมวินยานุศาสน (Thammawinayānusāsana, Handbook for Buddhist Beginners), probably the first printed handbook of Thai Buddhism.

During the time of Tokuno’s stay in Siam, there were no Buddhist schools established and very few published books on Buddhism. Buddhist canons were still written in palm leaf in Khmer script. The King’s project of publishing Tripitaka in Thai script just started. Phra Wajirayan Bhikkhu (later King Rama Ⅳ) devised Ariyaka alphabet to write Pali text, however it was used only by a small number of Thammayut monks and did not spread widely. Phra Sasanasophon (Sa Pussathewo, 1813–1900, the abbot of Wat Rachapradit since 1865, The Supreme Patriarch of Thai Sangha from 1893 to 1900), a high disciple of Phra Wajirayan Bhikkhu, devised the method of writing Pali texts in Thai script and published a book, มคธภาสานุรูปสฺยามักฺขรวิธิ (Siamese orthography for Magadha (Pali) language) in 1869/70 at the publisher in front of Wat Rachapradit, probably the first Thai book published by Thai publisher.

Both authors of early printed Thai Buddhist books, Rev. Phra Sasanasophon and Phya Bhaskarawongse played important roles in the King Chulalongkorn’s project to publish Tripitaka in Thai script which started on 22nd Dec. 1887 by the King’s address and completed in October 1893.

Oda Tokuno returned to Japan 3 years before printed Tripitaka appeared.

In Siam, Tokuno learned Thai language first at Phra Tamnak Suankularb School in the grand palace. At the same time he endeavored to read the Modern Buddhist by Henry Alabaster (1836–1884) comparing with a Thai book “Sadaeng Kitchanukit” lithographically printed on 21st Nov. 1867 by Chaophya Thiphakorawong (1813–1870). As the Modern Buddhist was a partial English translation of “Sadaeng Kitchanukit”, this comparison was helpful for Tokuno to understand Thai Buddhism.

After returned to Kobe, Japan on 17th July 1890, Oda Tokunou published a Japanese book on Situations of Buddhism in Siam (Shyam Bukkyo Jijo) in February 1891. It is most systematically written introduction to Thai Buddhism in Japanese until today. Its only shortcoming is to idealize and describe the state of Thai Buddhism more than reality. The reason is probably because he did not ordain as a Theravada monk and were not familiar with real lives and practices of monks in Thai monasteries.

Phya Bhaskarawongse offered Tokuno to ordain in Thammayut order by his patronage. However Tokuno declined it and did not return to Bangkok again.

He belonged to Rev. Kaien Atsumi’s faction in Otani sect and struggled with Ishikawa Shundai’s faction fiercely. He was ousted from Otani sect under Ishikawa administration in November 1898, but restored monkhood status in April 1901.

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