<DIV align=center><STRONG><BR>Big Buddha, Todaiji Temple, Nara</STRONG><BR></DIV>
<DIV align=left><BR><SPAN lang=EN-US>The Yomiuri Shimbun, October 12, 2006</SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><SPAN lang=EN-US>Nara</SPAN></st1:City><SPAN lang=EN-US>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region></SPAN></st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-US> -- During the reign of Emperor Shomu, the country suffered epidemics and major conflicts. Hoping to relieve the anxiety of the people and bring peace, Emperor Shomu built the Great Buddha at Todaiji temple.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US>The image is about 15 meters tall, made of copper and plated with gold. It is believed to weigh about 380 tons. To make the original image, 500 tons of copper and 440 kilograms of gold were collected from across the country.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US>The construction of the image was a national project, involving 2.6 million people, although the country's population was only about 5 million at the time.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US>The image and the temple were damaged by repeated natural disasters and civil wars, but they were frequently repaired and rebuilt.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-US>The face of the current Great Buddha was restored during the <st1:place w:st="on">Edo</st1:place> period (1603-1868) and is not exactly the same as the original Buddha.</SPAN></P>
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