Originally,
the solicitation of great numbers of people to help construct Zen temple
buildings. By the 14c, fushin had come to mean the gathering of donations
for such building projects. Eventually, these meanings were lost, and fushin
came to mean construction or engineering work. The word sakuji 作事
had also become a popular expression for building and construction work
as early as the 13c and continued to be used during the following centuries.
By the last quarter of the 17c, fushin and sakuji were used
interchangeably for the construction of residences of the elite and dwellings
for farmers and merchants. Throughout the Muromachi period and
after, government offices in control of building projects began to distinguish
between the word fushin and sakuji: the former referred only
to engineering projects and the latter to architectural works. Gradually,
the use of fushin returned to its earlier meaning referring to both
engineering and architectural works. It retains that meaning today. |