A general term that refers to all images of the Buddha used as objects of worship, although most commonly used to refer to Buddhist statues.
Buddhism originated in the late 6th and early 5th century BC from the teaching of *Shaka 釈迦 (Sk: Sakyamuni; approximately 560-480 BC) in the central area of the Ganges River Basin (north-central India). This teaching spread northwest to the Gandhara region and south to Ceylon and continued to spread along these two separate routes. The NW branch crossed the Hindu Kush mountains and the Pamirs, reaching China in the first century AD. The southern route continued the spread of Buddhism by sea and reached a wide area of Southeast Asia. Buddhism reached Japan primarily via the Korean peninsula in the first half of the 6th century.
Buddhist statues are thought to have originated in the first century AD in Gandhara and traveled together with the Buddhist faith northward through China and south via the sea route. Many important Buddhist statues are preserved in China such as those at Dunhuang and the famous cave carvings, sekkutsu jiin 石窟寺院, at Longmen (Jp: Ryūmon 竜門). The practice of cutting cave temples from natural mountainsides was an Indian tradition that was transmitted to China in the early centuries AD. Stone carved Buddhas were also very important in China from the 5th century, although this technique is rarely seen in Japan (see *sekibutsu 石仏).
When Buddhism was brought to Japan, it was already an established practice to house Buddhist images in wood and tile structures. In Japan, the primary forms of butsuzō by material were: metal cast images *chūzō 鋳造; clay images *sozō 塑造; dry lacquer images *kanshitsu 乾漆; and wood images, mokuzō 木造. Bronze was the most usual metal used in casting, although statues were made from other metals such as silver, gold, iron, or alloys. The lost-wax technique *rōgata 蝋型 was particularly important in cast-metal statuary and was used until the 12th century. Bronze statues were often gilded *kondō 金銅. Clay and dry lacquer flourished in the 8th century but were later replaced by wood. Wooden images have a unique place in the history of Japanese Buddhist sculpture. High-quality timbers were abundantly available; most commonly the Japanese cypress, hinoki 桧, was used, but sculptures were also made from kaya 榧 (Japanese nutmeg), keyaki 欅 (zelkova), kusu 楠 (camphor), and sakura 桜 (cherry). Gradually more sophisticated techniques of construction developed, from the early one-block sculptures *ichiboku-zukuri 一木造, to hollowed out works *uchiguri 内刳, and more complex composite constructions *yoseki-zukuri 寄木造, which facilitated the construction of large scale pieces.
Butsuzō imagery includes a whole variety of types and forms of Buddhist deities. Among the attributes of Buddhist deities, hand position or mudra *in 印, and objects held in the hand *jimotsu 持物 are extremely important, as these indicate the identity and role of each divinity.
Highest in the Buddhist Pantheon are the *nyorai 如来; these are beings who have achieved complete enlightenment. Nyorai figures are usually depicted in a priestly robe with little decoration. Among the most important nyorai in Japanese Buddhist imagery is Shaka, the founder of the Buddhist faith, often found with his right hand raised in a gesture meaning "do not fear" and his left hand open in a gesture of charity. Shaka was the first man to achieve enlightenment and therefore is considered the basis for all nyorai images. Most of the first butsuzō made in Japan were Shaka figures. Also important is *Amida 阿弥陀, the Buddha who reigns over the Western Paradise, gokuraku 極楽, or Pure Land, jōdo 浄土. He personifies eternal life, compassion, and boundless light. As the central deity of the Pure Land faith, Jōdokyō 浄土教, Amida was one of the most fervently worshipped deities in Japan and China, and many statues exist. Amida's hands are shown in a gesture signifying "welcome to paradise." Other significant nyorai are *Yakushi 薬師 and *Dainichi 大日. Yakushi is known as the Buddha able to cure all physical illnesses and spiritual confusion. His right hand is raised in the "do not fear" gesture, and he holds a medicine jar in his left hand. Buddhist sutras attribute seven mutations to Yakushi. These often appear as tiny images on the halo of the main statue. Dainichi is the supreme deity in Esoteric Buddhism mikkyō 密教. He is considered to be the cosmic origin of all things. Dainichi was worshipped in Japan from the 7th century, when he was represented as similar to other nyorai figures, but with the spread of Esoteric Buddhism in the late 8th and early 9th century, he was represented with a number of variations in dress and appearance. The Great Buddha at Tōdaiji 東大寺 in Nara is a representation of Dainichi. See *daibutsu 大仏, *sandaibutsu 三大仏.
Another type of Buddhist deity is the *bosatsu 菩薩. A bosatsu is not yet a Buddha, but he possesses the necessary wisdom and power to reach enlightenment. He voluntarily intercedes to help men to find salvation. Bosatsu usually have hair piled high on their head and wear rich jewelry and crowns. They wear a skirt on the lower half of the body, and the upper body is left bare or covered with a thin silk scarf worn diagonally across the torso or draped around the shoulders *tenne 天衣. The most important bosatsu presented in Japanese Buddhist sculpture are *Kannon 観音, *Jizō 地蔵, and *Miroku 弥勒. Kannon has been revered in Japan since the coming of Buddhism, and images of Kannon exist dating from the Asuka period. Kannon embodies divine compassion and limitless powers. In Japanese art, Kannon often appears with small Buddha heads appearing around the main head like a crown, or with many arms. These features express his multiple powers. Jizō is the guardian deity of children, travelers, and pregnant women, and he also intervenes to help those suffering in hell. Unlike other bosatsu he is dressed in simple monk's robes and carries a staff in his right hand. Miroku is the Buddha of the future who will return to earth and save all those who have not yet reached enlightenment 5670 million years after the death of Shaka. Miroku is often depicted undergoing austerities.
Apart from nyorai and bosatsu, there are a large number of other divinities who appear in Buddhist sculpture, most of whom originated in India and some of whom entered Buddhism from other Indian religions. There are Heavenly Beings *ten 天, who include, for example, the Four Guardian Kings *Shitennō 四天王. These traditionally have defended the four directions---north, south, east, and west---surrounding the land of Buddhism and in Japanese are known as *Tamonten 多聞天, *Zōchōten 増長天, *Jikokuten 持国天, and *Kōmokuten 広目天 respectively. These images arrived in Japan with the introduction of Buddhism and are found, for example, in Hōryūji *Kondō 法隆寺金堂 in Nara. The Hōryūji Shitennō have calm expressions, but from the 8th century on they were given a frightening aspect as seen in the images of the Kaidan'in 戒壇院 at Tōdaiji, which wear armor, carry military weapons, and stand with one foot crushing a demon beast. Another fierce deity is the *Myōō 明王. Myōō are important divinities in Esoteric Buddhism and express the anger of Dainichi against evil. They have great strength to help people overcome difficulties and resist temptations. Myōō often appear in groups of five, with *Fudō Myōō 不動明王 at the center of the group. He often is depicted seated with a sword in the right hand and a rope in the left.
Buddhist deities are often presented in groups, such as the groups of Four Guardian Kings or five Myōō mentioned above. In the early history of Japanese Buddhism there were groups of images known as the Ten Disciples of Shaka, *Jūdai deshi 十大弟子, and the Eight Protectors of Buddha, *Hachibushū 八部衆, who represented part of Shaka's audience when he preached. From the Kamakura period, there were also larger groups such as the 28 attendants *nijūhachi bushū 二十八部衆, who attend the Thousand-armed Kannon, *Senju Kannon 千手観音. An extremely important grouping in Buddhist statuary is the triad *sanzonbutsu 三尊仏. A triad consists of a central figure, often a nyorai, *chūson 中尊, accompanied by two other figures on either side, *kyōji 脇侍. The combinations of images are decided according to Buddhist scripture, although there is considerable variation. A triad is named according to the central image; an Amida triad is known as *Amida sanzon 阿弥陀三尊, and a Yakushi triad as Yakushi sanzon 薬師三尊.