Hundreds of people have taken part in an annual year-end cleanup at two major temples in Kyoto, western Japan.
The tradition at the Higashi- and Nishi-Honganji temples is said to have started over 500 years ago. The cleaning takes place on December 20 every year to prepare for the New Year.
At Higashi-Honganji in Shimogyo Ward, about 200 people gathered on Saturday, including followers from across Japan and students from local junior and senior high schools.
In Goeido hall, a designated important cultural property, the participants lined up. At the call to start, they began thumping tatami mats with bamboo sticks to draw out dust. Some people waved large fans measuring about 2 meters to blow the dust away.
They then wiped the tatami mats and carefully removed the dirt that had accumulated during the year.
A high school student said it was her first time to participate in the event. She expected to be sore later, but she said it was a nice experience. She mentioned taking up various new activities this year, and said she hopes to make next year even better.
AloJapan.com