- Monks and volunteers cleaned Buddhist statues at Yakushiji Temple in Nara as part of an annual New Year ritual.
- The cleaning involved wiping dust from three national treasure statues using hot water and cloths.
- Attendees expressed hope for a safer and happier new year following a year marked by natural disasters.

A: Hey! Did you hear about Yakushiji Temple?
B: No! What’s going on there?
A: They just cleaned the statues! It’s a New Year tradition.
B: Wow, really? Who cleaned them?
A: Monks and volunteers! About fifty people.
B: That’s a lot! What did they do?
A: They used hot water and cloths. It took about ten minutes.
B: That sounds peaceful. Are the statues important?
A: Totally! They’re national treasures. They represent healing and good fortune.
B: Cool! I heard someone from Shizuoka came to watch.
A: Yeah! He said it made him feel cleansed, you know?
B: Makes sense! This year was tough, with disasters and… bear attacks?!
A: Crazy, right? He's hoping next year will be better for everyone.
B: I hope so too! Happy New Year!