Horyuji Buddhist statues cleaned for New Year

The annual year-end dusting of Buddhist statues took place at Horyuji temple in Nara Prefecture, western Japan.

On Wednesday morning, monks wearing masks recited a sutra before setting to work in the main hall of the temple.

Using brushes and dusters made of traditional Japanese paper, the monks cleaned the heads and shoulders of the Shaka-sanzon and the sitting Yakushi-nyorai statues, all designated national treasures.

For a while, the ancient hall was filled with white dust.

Worshippers arrived later to offer prayers to the cleaned statues.