Initial construction In 743,
Emperor Shōmu issued a law stating that the people should become directly involved with the establishment of new Buddhist temples throughout Japan. The Emperor believed that such piety would inspire Buddha to protect his country from further disaster.
Gyōki, with his pupils, traveled the provinces asking for donations. According to records kept by Tōdai-ji, more than 2,600,000 people in total helped construct the Great Buddha and its Hall, contributing rice, wood, metal, cloth, or labour, with 350,000 working directly on the statue's construction. The 16 m (52 ft) high statue was built through eight castings over three years, the head and neck being cast together as a separate element. The making of the statue was started first in
Shigaraki. After enduring multiple fires and earthquakes, the construction was eventually resumed in Nara in 745, The Indian priest
Bodhisena performed the eye-opening for
Emperor Shōmu. The project cost Japan greatly, as the statue used much of Japan's bronze and relied entirely on imported gold. 48 lacquered cinnabar pillars, in diameter and long, support the blue tiled roof of the Daibutsu-den. Maps that include some of the original structures of Tōdai-ji are rare, though some still exist today. Some of these structures include, the two pagodas, the library, lecture hall, refectory, and the monk's quarters located behind the main hall. Tōdai-ji functioned not only as a place of worship and Buddhist practice, but as a place of higher learning and study. Much of what contemporaries now know about the original layout of the temple comes from the writings of monks who lived and studied there. The original complex contained two
pagodas, making them some of the tallest structures at the time. They were located on either side of the complex, one on the and one on the . The pagodas themselves were surrounded by a walled courtyard with four gates. These were destroyed by an earthquake. One of the finials was reproduced for the 1970 Osaka Expo and is standing at the spot where one of the pagodas used to stand. The
Shōsōin was its storehouse, and now contains many artifacts from the
Tenpyō period of
Japanese history.
Reconstructions post-Nara Period '') in the main hall The Great Buddha Hall (
Daibutsuden) has been rebuilt twice after fire. The current building was finished in 1709, and although immense— long, wide and high—it is actually 30% smaller than its predecessor, being reduced from 11 to 7 bays wide due to lack of funds. Until 1998, it was the world's largest wooden building. It has been surpassed by modern structures, such as the Japanese baseball stadium
Odate Jukai Dome, amongst others. The Great Buddha statue has been
recast several times for various reasons, including earthquake damage. The current hands of the statue were made in the
Momoyama Period (1568–1615), and the head was made in the
Edo period (1615–1867). The existing Nandaimon (Great South Gate) was constructed at the end of the 12th century based on
Daibutsuyō style, after the original gate was destroyed by a typhoon during the Heian period. The dancing figures of the
Nio, the two guardians at the Nandaimon, were built around the same time by the artists
Unkei,
Kaikei, and their workshop staff. The Nio are an
A-un pair known as
Ungyo, which by tradition has a facial expression with a closed mouth, and
Agyo, which has an open mouthed expression. The two figures were closely evaluated and extensively restored by a team of art conservators between 1988 and 1993. Until then, these sculptures had never before been moved from the niches in which they were originally installed. This complex preservation project, costing $4.7 million, involved a restoration team of 15 experts from the
National Treasure Repairing Institute in Kyoto. By the 19th century, the Great Buddha Hall had become seriously deteriorated, and its roof and pillars had warped, and by the Meiji period, it had become so damaged that it was strange that it did not collapse. However, Japan, which was Westernizing, was influenced by the West and developed the concept of protecting cultural properties, and the first large-scale restoration project was carried out from 1904 to 1913. However, even then, the warped roof could not be completely repaired, so instead, support beams were erected to prevent collapse. After that, it escaped the US air raids during
World War II and was safe, and in 1974, the second large-scale construction project began. At this time, a new change occurred in the wooden structure of the Great Buddha Hall. A total of 100,000 people were mobilized for the construction. During this time, the roof was completely removed and fixed using steel frames, This construction was completed in 1980, This second large scale construction project resulted in the Great Buddha Hall having its current appearance.
Dimensions of the Daibutsu The temple gives the following dimensions for the statue: • Height: • Face: • Eyes: • Nose: • Ears: The statue's shoulders are across and there are 960 six curls atop its head. The Birushana Buddha's golden halo is in diameter with 16 images each tall. Using x-rays, a human tooth, along with pearls, mirrors, swords, and jewels have been discovered inside the knee of the Great Buddha; these are believed to be the relics of
Emperor Shomu. The statue weighs . == Temple precincts and gardens ==