In Nara there were extensive programmes of reconstruction after the damage done by the civil warfare of the AD 1180s. Rebuilding at the most important temple, the imperially sponsored Tôdaiji, began before the wars were even over. The temple had supported the Minamoto clan during the wars, and their leader Yoritomo gave generously to the fund-raising campaign and attended the rededication ceremony.

In Nara, the sculptor Kôkei headed a studio, with his son Unkei and pupils Kaikei and Jôkei, and subsequently Unkei’s six sons. Due to the shared second character of their names, these highly accomplished sculptors are known as the Kei school. They had access to the great surviving sculptures of the Nara period, and their works incorporated the naturalism and expressive realism of that style. As well as enormous fierce deities, they produced smaller-scale portraits with human rather than idealised features. Crystal inserted in the eye-sockets further heightened the sense of realism. When Unkei transferred the studio to Kyoto, these elements were employed in their innovative works.

The realism seen in sculpture extended to an interest in the humanity of Buddhist figures in other media. Examples of this are narrative handscrolls depicting the life of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni ('Shaka' in Japanese), and the life of the revered Japanese scholar Shôtoku Taishi (574-622), and biographical tales of patriarchs.