Over 1,200 years ago in the ancient Japanese capital of Nara, anonymous carpenters erected a number of intricately designed timber temples and pagodas for a new Buddhist monastery known as Yakushiji. Then, as now, these buildings were considered marvels of architectural elegance and traditional Japanese craftsmanship. One of the ancient pagodas still stands, testimony to the great skill and dedication of its ancient builders. The same skills and dedication are very much in evidence today in the work of modern-day Japanese master carpenters who combine the timeless past with the living present in their everyday lives. Constructed in the eighth century and subject over time to the depredations of fire and warfare, the Yakushiji monastery has been undergoing extensive reconstruction that sees it now almost fully restored to its original appearance. Newly constructed buildings have been erected employing the original methods, architectural styles, and much the same woodworking technology as their predecessors. Author Azby Brown spent years at the site, at the side of the master builders. In addition to the author's photographs and text documenting the entire construction process, this book is remarkable for the author's set of original drawings based on the plans of Japanese master carpenter Tsunekazu Nishioka. Drawing on extensive interviews and conversations with the carpenters and woodworkers involved in the project, the author also provides valuable insights into Buddhist temples in general, the personal philosophy of temple carpenters, and the traditional Japanese crafts of woodworking and carpentry. Book jacket.