20 The Great Buddha One of the various striking accomplishments of Nara period was the discovery of metals like copper and gold. Prior to this, resources had been discovered on occasion since the reign of Emperor Tenji. For example, in the 7th year of Emperor Tenji's reign (668), "burning earth" and "burning water" were presented from Koshi Province (Hokuriku Area). "Burning earth" was probably coal; "burning water" must have been petroleum oil. Several years later, in the third year of Emperor Tenmu'a reign (675), silver was found and presented to the court from Tsushima Island. This was recorded as the first discovery of silver in Japan. In the second year of Emperor Monmu's reign (698), there were many discoveries. Copper was found in the Provinces of Inada (Tottori Prefecture) and Suou (Yamaguchi Prefecture); cinnabar iron (compound consisting of mercury and sulfur) from the Privinces of Ise (Mie Prefecture), Hitachi (Ibaraki Prefecture), Bizen (Okayama Prefecture), Iyo (Ehime Prefecture), and Hyuuga (Mi yazaki Prefecture). Other metals were also found in other provinces, and all of them were sent up the court. This is perhaps because the technology of minig and metallurgy had developed, directing people's attention to this area. Then Empress Genmei (r. 707-715) ascended the throne, and within half a year, natural refined copper was discovered in Chichibu District, Musashi Province (Saitama Prefecture). This pleased the court immensely, wjich regarded the discovery as the grace of the heavenly and earthly Gods. Accordingly the current 5th year of Keiun (Joyful Cloud) era was changed into the first year of Wadou (Refined Copper) era. A great pardon for criminals was granted in celebration. Copper coins promptly went into production, and circulated after the 8th month. As is well known, the coins were engraved "Wadou Kaihou," 　和　同　開　珎 meaning "the treasure produced by the Wadou copper." At the beginning of the reign of the next Empress Genshou (r. 715-724), the Empress paid a vist to Mino Province (Gifu Prefecture). She viewed the famous Waterfall of Yourou, which was said to cure sickness, restore white hair to black, and bring back eyesight, by drinking and bathing. Thus with the connotation "sufficient to sustain the elderly," the era name and the year were changed to the first year of Yourou (Sutain the Elderly) era, from the third year of Reiki (Divine Fortune White Turle) era. A legend transmitted to later generations goes: There was a poor man who cared for his father by cutting firewood in the mountain. The father demanded so much sake-wine that the son, in order to please him, carried a water jug made of a gourd to by sake-wine regularly. One day he slipped in the mountain and fell, and smelled the vapour of sake-wine. Puzzled, he looked around, and saw a amall brook running out of a rock. The colour of the liquid resembled sake-wine. Tasting it, he found it to be a superd sake-wine. The son was delighted and sustained the father's life by giving him this wine everyday. This news was conveyed to the capital, at which Empress Genshou paid a special visit, and she was so impressed that she changed the era name. Next was Emperor Shoumu (r. 724-749). At the end of his reign, gold was discovered for the first time in Mutsu Province (Aomori and Iwate Prefectures), and the entire nation was uproarious with joy. As I have explained, the era name was changed to Tenpyou Kanpou (Heavenly Peace Responding to the Treasure) and Ohtomo no Yakamochi composed a song to bless this occasion. The court was particularly pleased, as just at that time gold was needed to construct Great Buddha. Let us turn to this Great Buddha now. Emperor Shoumu gave a decree in the 13th year of Tepyou era (741), to have two Buddhist temples built in each province. The first was to be called Konkoumyou Shitennou Gokokuji-Temple (Golden Light Bright Four Heavenly Kings Guardian Temple), and twenty monks were to be housed. The second temple, Hokke Metsuzai-Temple (Everlasting Lotus Sin-Erasing Temple), was to house ten nuns. Since these were built in each province, the temples were called Kokubunji-Temple (provincial temple) and Kokubun-niji Temple (provincial nunneries) respectively. The sites were generally on higher land near the provincial office, where the governor of the province of the resided. The building faced south, and consisted of the main hall, lecture hall, seven-stories pagoda, sutra storehouse, bell tower, middle gate, and great south gate. Provincial temples tended to be larger than provincial nunneries. The main hall of the one in Musashi Province (Toukyou Metropolitan Area) was the largest of them all: it was 121 shaku (36.6 meters) wide and 58 shaku (17.5 meters) long. Such large-scale magnificent building went up in the province of the entire nation, to be completed almost simultaneously. People must have been astonished by the impressive sight. The head temple of all the pronincial temples was Konkoumyou Shitennou Gokokuji-Temple (Golden Light Bright Four Heavenly Kings Guardian Temple), lacated in Nara Capital. This is known as Toudaiji-Temple. In the temples built in the provinces, Buddha was worshipped. But in this head temple, Roshana Buddha was deified, and this is the Great Buddha of Nara. While the Buddha of the provinces were 1 jou 6 shaku (4.8 meters) high, the main Roshana Buddha in the head temple was over 5 jou (15 meters) in height, three times larger. The building that contained this statue must have been so spectacularly enormous that all those who looked up were amazed.

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