The Buddha statues at Horyuji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the ancient capital of Nara in western Japan, have received their annual year-end cleaning.
Ten monks entered the temple's main hall on Friday and recited a sutra before carefully dusting off the statues. Some of the statues, 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 stamp of approval.
