As regent for Empress Suiko, he set out at the age of 20 to convert a clan society into a centralized administration like that of China. He sent embassies to the Sui, brought in Chinese artists and craftsmen, adopted the Chinese calendar, created a constitution, and instituted a bureaucracy based on merit. He promoted both Buddhism and Confucianism. After Shotoku’s death, during the Taika (“Great Change”) period (645–710), an imperial prince and a Fujiwara initiated further reforms. Gradually, Chinese practices were adapted to Japanese conditions and a more centralized administration emerged.