What happened
Emperor Shomu vowed the project in 743, mobilizing the realm to cast a colossal bronze Vairocana Buddha — roughly 15 meters seated — at Todai-ji in Nara. The popular monk Gyoki helped raise support, and the casting consumed an enormous share of the country’s bronze.
The eye-opening consecration ceremony in 752 was led by the Indian monk Bodhisena before a great assembly.
Background
The vow came after years shaken by the smallpox epidemic and unrest. Mobilizing the whole realm for the Buddha followed that turmoil.
Consequences
The project marked the high-water mark of Nara state Buddhism, with Todai-ji at the head of the provincial temple network. The statue was damaged repeatedly over the centuries: the present head is an Edo-period recasting, while parts of the body remain original.