In the opening, bar 1, only the G-flat note resonates quietly. This high-pitched note, played with legato-staccato, continues to sound incessantly throughout the entire piece. In "Kankin at Dawn," under the G-flat note, which could be called a "basso continuo," sounds are spun out haltingly. Kosaku Yamada stated, "The sound of kankin I heard at a friend's house became the genesis of this piece" (Yamada 2001:587). The "friend" was Etsuko Terasaki, who had a deep knowledge of classical literature and composed tanka, and the autograph score of "Kankin at Dawn" contains a dedication to Terasaki.

According to "Kojien," "Kankin" (看経) refers to:

• silently reading sutras
• reading sutras
• reading scriptures for study

It was originally a term contrasted with "Jukyo" (誦経, chanting sutras aloud) and "Fukyo" (諷経, reciting sutras). Therefore, "Kankin" does not involve reading sutras aloud with a melodic intonation.

Referring to the score of "Kankin at Dawn," dynamic markings are almost exclusively "p" or "pp." The phrases played by the left hand include long note values and rests, requiring a dense "space" or "pause" for each individual note. A serene atmosphere pervades the entire piece, and the occasional arpeggios and double appoggiaturas sound like the plucking of a koto. The repeated G-flat notes, inspired by kankin, can somewhat evoke raindrops. In F. Chopin's "Prelude" Op. 28, No. 15, it was the A-flat note that was associated with raindrops.

Yamada's autograph score of "Kankin at Dawn" is inscribed with "October 24, 1916, 12 AM." He composed many of his piano works during the early Taisho era (1914-1917), and works like "Petits Poèmes," which resemble a musical diary, also date from the same period. The premiere of "Kankin at Dawn" was given by Kosaku Yamada himself in 1916.