Hundreds of people have joined an annual year-end clean at two major Buddhist temples in Kyoto, continuing a tradition that dates back more than 500 years.
The ritual takes place every December 20 at Higashi-Honganji and Nishi-Honganji to prepare the sites for the New Year.
At Higashi-Honganji in Shimogyo Ward, around 200 participants gathered, including worshippers from across Japan and local junior and senior high school students.
They lined up inside the Goeido hall, an important cultural property, and struck tatami mats with bamboo sticks to loosen dust built up over the year.