VIDEO: No Comment: in Japan, winter cleaning of Buddha statues

The Buddha statues at Horyuji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the ancient capital of Nara in western Japan, have undergone their annual end-of-year cleaning.

Ten monks entered the temple’s main hall on Friday and recited a sutra before carefully dusting the statues. Some of them, like the Shaka Triad and the Yakushi Nyorai, are national treasures.

The annual cleaning ritual began about 30 years ago after the temple received the UNESCO label.

A man in his 60s from Shizuoka Prefecture who attended the ceremony said the atmosphere was very solemn. He added that he hopes next year will be peaceful.