The civil wars in the Ônin and Bunmei 応仁・文明 eras reduced many Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines to ashes, and they were to be reconstructed one after another. Enough subscriptions for the reconstruction, however, could hardly be hoped for at home. On the other hand some people hankered for Kaoli copies of the Buddhist Scriptures. Neither were profits from trade remained unnoticed. Under these circumstances trading ships, called "Kaoli vessels", came to ply between Japan and Kaoli. In Kaoli under the Li Dynasty which was contemporaneous with our Ônin and Bummei eras, a national policy based on Confucianism was followed, and the Buddhist Scriptures were considered useless, if not harmful. For this reason, to give away Kaoli copies of them to the Japanese visitors was in line with Kaolis basic policy, and in addition would be taken for an act of magnanimity worthy of a great country. A typical case of importing Scriptures into Japan was that by a "Collection ship" a trading ship, owned by the Enjôji 円成寺 Temple in the 14 th year of the Bummei era. This import was conducted in connection with the reconstruction of the temple by Eikô born of the Sagawas, an influencial family in the north-easten part of the Yamato Province. Some fragmentary pages from the "Scripturs Inviting Ship" are saved from destruction and tell us how and where those on board purchased their food, thereby suggesting the route, they took to go to their destination. The scriptures thus brought are by good luck preserved at the Zôjôji Temple in Tokyo. This may be a rare occurrence which clarifies a history of Scriptures imported in the Bummei era.
