Buildings of the World Series Japan

The Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple

Canon World Papercraft Mini-book

The construction of the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple
began in A.D. 745, and the work of gilding, carving,
and constructing the backdrop continued for about 26
years. After being repaired many times over the years,
the statue is now 14.98 meters (49 feet 2 inches) tall.
However, it is thought that it was originally over 16
meters (52.5 feet) tall. This great statue, built over
1200 years ago, is a cast Buddha statue without peer
in the world.

*Cut out the card above and save it. You can collect the cards from each of the Papercraft
projects to make your own mini-book!

Print out pages 1 through 4, cut out each individual part along their cut lines,
and fold along the mountain and valley fold lines.

1.

Build the head

5.

Build the base

6.

Put it all

together

2.

Build the arms

3.

Build the upper body

4.

Build the lower body

Head

glue together

glue together

glue together

glue together

glue together

glue together

glue together

glue together

glue together

About the hand positions

Right hand

glue together

glue
together

glue
together

glue
together

glue
together

glue
together

glue
together

glue
together

right
arm 1

head

right arm

left arm

lower body

* glue together as shown in the figure

* build the left arm
in the same manner

right arm 2

base 1

base 3

base 5

base 2

base 4

glue

here

glue

here

g

lu

e

h

e

re

glue

here

glue

her

e

g

lu

e

h

e

re

This position indicates
delivering

people

by

taking away their fears.

The hand positions of
Buddha statues have a
variety of meanings. The
meanings of the hand
positions of the Great
Buddha of Todaiji Temple
are explained below.
Bend the hands and
fingers of your Papercraft
sculpture

into

the

positions shown below.

Left hand

his

position

indicates

granting people's desires
and giving them blessings.

upper

body

base

World Papercraft Buildings of the World Series Japan

The Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple

(section 1)

cut line

mountain fold line

valley fold line

Directions

Lower body

Right arm 1

Left arm 1

Right arm 2

Left arm 2

Base 1

Base 2

g

lu

e

h

e

re

F

E

A

G

B

C

D

glue he

re

glue

glue

gl

ue

glue

glue

glu

e

glue

here

glue

here

glue

here

glu

e

he

re

glue

here

glu

e

he

re

glu

e

her

e

glu

e

her

e

glue

here

glue

here

glue

here

glu

e

he

re

glue

here

g

lu

e

g

lu

e

g

lu

e

g

lu

e

g

lu

e

glue to

base 1

glue to

base 2

glue upper

body here

glue upper

body here

g

lu

e

l

e

ft

a

rm

2

h

e

re

le

ft

ar

m

2

g

lu

e

r

ig

h

t a

rm

2

h

e

re

rig

ht a

rm

2

World Papercraft Buildings of the World Series Japan

The Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple

(section 2)

cut line

mountain fold line

valley fold line

Base 3

Upper body

glue

tab E

here

glue

tab G

here

glue

here

h

e

a

d

h

e

a

d

glue

here

gl

ue

he

re

glu

e

he

re

glue

here

glue

her

e

glue

left

arm

1 ta

b D

here

glue left

arm 1 ta

b C here

glue right arm 1 tab B h

ere

glue rig

ht arm 1

tab A h

ere

g

lu

e

to

lo

w

e

r

b

o

d

y

g

lu

e

to

lo

w

e

r

b

o

d

y

World Papercraft Buildings of the World Series Japan

The Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple

(section 3)

cut line

mountain fold line

valley fold line

Base 4

Base 5

glu

e h

ere

glu

e h

er

e

g

lu

e

h

e

re

g

lu

e

h

e

re

g

lu

e

h

e

re

g

lu

e

h

e

re

glu

e h

er

e

glu

e h

ere

glu

e h

ere

glu

e h

ere

glu

e h

ere

glue tab

F here

glu

e h

ere

glu

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he

re

gl

ue

h

er

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g

lu

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re

g

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re

g

lu

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h

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re

g

lu

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re

gl

ue

h

er

e

gl

ue

h

er

e

glu

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ere

glue here

glue here

glue h

ere

glue

base 5

here

glue

base 5

here

glue base 3 here

Buildings of the World Japan

Canon World Papercraft

The Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple

first

casting

second

casting

third

casting

fourth

casting

fifth

casting

sixth

casting

seventh

casting

eight

casting

Casting of the Great Buddha

The Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple is too large to be cast all at
one time. So, the statue was made with eight separate castings,
as shown in the figure below.
First, a prototype model of the statue was built around a wooden
framework. After the outer mold was made from this model, the
model was then shaved down to a degree corresponding to the
thickness of the bronze to form the inner mold.
Then molten bronze was poured in to cast the lowest portion.
When that was done, the lower portion was filled with earth, and
then the next section was cast.
This process was repeated eight times to form this gigantic
statue.

Great Buddha of Todaiji

Constructed:

A.D. 752

Height:

14.98 meters
(49 feet 2 inches)

Weight of bronze:

about 380 tons

Weight of gold:

48.4 kg
(about 106.5 pounds)

World Papercraft Buildings of the World Series Japan

The Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple

(section 4)

cut line

mountain fold line

valley fold line