Nobunaga was one hard core warrior. That is a fact. That being said, he was known as a builder as well. Before Azuchi Castle was constructed, Nobunaga had experience building roads, dikes, bridges, and the like.
Nobunaga building a road providing safe travel. The passage comes from Luis Frois in Lamers Japonius Tyrannus, p. 140.
"He had the roads repaired from the city of Anzuchi to Miaco, a distance of fourteen leagues, in such a way they formed one single road-flat, clean, and straight, and five or six tatamis [ken] wide. Trees were planted on both sides of the road, to provide shade in the summer, brooms were suspended from these trees at certain places and local residents were assigned the task of keeping the road swept clean. He had clean gravel and small pebbles placed beneath the trees along the entire stretch, so that the whole road looked like a garden. There were houses at regular intervals where travellers could relax and take a rest, enjoying the abundance of foods on sale there. And whereas previously it had not even been safe to travel by day in these regions, at least not without company, the people always travelled by night in Nobunaga's era-especially during the summer-and when they wished to test, they could put down their luggage and sleep next to the road as safely as they did in their houses. Nobunaga carried out the same arrangement and repair of roads in many of the provinces under his rule."
Nobunaga made travel safe again. This was important. Goods can move more quickly and safely(good for Nobunaga's coffers) and the morale of the people. The people under his rule knew normality was coming back.
Tenka no tame!
2 comments:
Nobunaga knew that he needed prosperous lands under his control in order to support his military programs and to do that he realized that good infrastructure and public works were necessary. Did Nobunaga also improve the harbors under his control as well? I don't have my Japonius Tyrannus with me to check.
It was plain and simple common sense.
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