Watashitachi no Kurashi to Doboku

In the Nara period, Chinese Buddhist monks arrive in Japan and teach the people how to construct bridges and ponds, improving the lives of farmers suffering from drought and taxes. During the Sengoku period, warlord Takeda Shingen faces the violent river rains that plague the Kai Province, leading to floods in the Kofu Basin. He mobilizes manpower to develop a system of flood control using stone embankments and tree lines.

In the Edo period, the Meiji government seeks to catch up with Western technology and hires foreign experts, known as oyatoi gaikokujin. These contractors bring knowledge of lighthouses, railways, ports, water supplies, and improved flood control. The railway project, handled by British engineer Edmund Morel, connects Tokyo to Yokohama in just two years, showcasing the transformative power of civil engineering.