Radiography of the Great Buddha at Kamakura

A RADIOGRAPHIC survey was carried out with the dual purpose of estimating the thickness of the casting at different points and of examining for casting details, flaws, etc. A movable elevator was available to carry instruments near any part of the outside of the statue, but this would probably not have taken a high-voltage X-ray generator. Rather than mount the X-ray source inside the statue it was decided to use a gamma-ray source, the radio-isotope cobalt 60. This, with its lead container (walls 13 cm thick), weighed about Ioo kg. We had used gamma-radiography many times since 1953 on country temples [i], but in this case special care was necessary to ensure safe handling.