Gyoki's sphere of activities, with his reputation rising higher. Gyoki's such social enterprises soon won recognition from the imperial court.

Figure 1-1-4 A scene from the upper volume "Gyoki Building a Bridge" of Gangoji Gokuraku-bo Engi Emaki (Handscroll of the Legends of Gokuraku-bo at Gango-ji Temple)

Source) Image courtesy of the Gangoji Institute for Research of Cultural Properties.

In the wake of a heightening chain of social anxieties, including an outbreak of smallpox, famine and political rivalry, Emperor Shomu issued an “Order to Construct a Statue of Birushana Buddha” in 743 as a token of his prayer for the nation’s stability. Gyoki was chosen to drive the construction of the great image of Buddha in this project, because nobody else could have probably been equal to the task of undertaking such large-scale public works by raising a huge amount of money and getting an innumerable number of workers to work. Two years later, Gyoki was promoted to the position of Japan’s first Daisojo (a Buddhist priest of the highest order) by Emperor Shomu to top the official priests’ hierarchy. Gyoki passed away in 749, when he was recorded as Gyoki Bosatsu (Bodhisattva) in Shoku Nihongi” (Chronicles of Japan, Continued) cites him as Gyoki Bosatsu (Bodhisattva) for the sake of his achievements, blessing and so on. The diverse trails Gyoki had left behind have survived many centuries since to tell us of a typical example of a private initiative to develop social infrastructures in the ancient days of Japan.

## References)

·Kaoru Inoue (1997), “The Dictionary of Gyoki (1997),” Kokushokankokai

·Yasuo Yoshida (1987), “Gyoki and Ritsuryo-Based Nation,” Yoshikawa-Kobunkan

·Hideo Osabe (2004), “Buddhism and Capitalism,” Shincho-Shinsho

·Kyuichi Yoshida (2004), “New History of Social Welfare Services in Japan,” Keiso-Shobo

## (2) Medieval times - Opening of the era of the warrior class and the development of infrastructures -

Through the medieval times in which a warrior government came into existence, a nation of decentralized governance that built on feudalism lasted as distinct from one of centralized governance based on Ritsuryo. Accordingly, the nation’s infrastructures trended more towards regional development rather than uniform, nationwide deployment.

The Kamakura shogunate government worked to turn the capital of Kamakura into a large fortress not found in the ancient times. It built Kirigishi (bluffs), Horikiri (water-filled moats) and Kiridoshi (paths cut through mountains), roads with guttering and rivers with revetments. Wakaejima Island built at the proposal of a Buddhist priest, O-amidabutsu, is well known as the oldest port left to date. As a road policy, Minamoto no Yoritomo enforced the Law

Figure 1-1-5 Shingen Zutsumi (Shingen Banks)

Source) Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism(MLIT)

of Post Roads in 1185 to lay the Tokai-do Road between Kamakura and Kyoto. Further, Kamakura Roads were developed for local warriors to rush to Kamakura in times of emergencies often expressed in the saying “Iza Kamakura.” Further, officials known as “Hobugyonin” were appointed to manage lands and roads in the city of Kamakura, fix bridges and clean up roads.

As the period of warring states sets in, leading warring lords appeared. These lords embarked on programs to develop infrastructures in their own territories in an effort to boost their national power. A typical example is the repair works of the merging section of Kamanashi River and Midai River flowing Kofu Basin undertaken by Shingen Takeda. Generally