In December, monks and devotees at Kyoto's Buddhist temples perform what is called "soot sweeping"

to cleanse the buildings in preparation for the new year.

Dust that rises from the tatami is driven outside with large fans.

The custom is an example of the importance Kyotoites place on cleanliness.

Many Kyoto temple buildings are old, but they are well cleaned and maintained.

This is a manifestation of respect for Buddha and the spirit of self-discipline.

Cleaning cleanses the soul, right?

When done properly, you benefit
and it exercises your body.

Buildings like this Kyoto "machiya" townhouse

and this "ryokan" inn and its garden are a common features of the cityscape.

Cleaning is integral for maintaining and enhancing the appeal of Kyoto's traditional atmosphere.

Cleaning every nook and cranny is
a fundamental part of hospitality.

Without that, we cannot offer guests the next
level of hospitality and service. It is essential.

Core Kyoto reveals the values and aesthetics of Kyotoites through the everyday task of cleaning,

which is more than the act of removing dirt.

The typical image of Kyoto is a cityscape lined with traditional "machiya" townhouses.

"Machiya" entrances are flush with the streets,

and when seen from above, they are slim and rectangular.

The term "machiya" is used to refer to wooden townhouses erected prior to 1950.

If well-tended, the sturdy structures can last centuries, despite being made solely of wood.

However, maintaining and conserving them is difficult and costly, so their numbers are dropping.

Kojima Fusae lives in a "machiya" built over a century ago.

She is involved in preserving these traditional residences,

and she works to share the joys and wisdom of life in a "machiya."

I think it's more a matter of taking care of it
not because it's old but because it's solidly built.

To this end, Kojima pays particular attention to cleaning her home.

She wipes the corridor's floorboards with a moist cloth.

It may be time intensive, but the cloth reaches the crevices between the boards.

When she vacuums the tatami rooms,

she carries the vacuum so as not to accidently deface the pillars, walls, or fixtures.

When cleaning cobblestones or gravel, she lightly sprays them first with water.

This prevents the dust from rising when she sweeps.

All this effort and care in often overlooked places is not wasted.

I hate having a shabby-looking
or unclean house.

I also abhor the idea that people coming
into my home may feel uncomfortable,

so I make the effort
to take good care of it.

Kojima's neighborhood has much foot and vehicle traffic, so if she notices something,

she does not hesitate to grab the broom and sweep the street, day or night.

Traditional upkeep also involves the practice of sweeping in front of your home.

When sweeping, there is an unspoken rule in Kyoto.

That is to sweep a bit of the adjoining home's area, too.

This little bit of thoughtfulness breeds good relations with the neighbors.

The area around here
is our community.

I pick up litter, no matter where it is.
Others are cleaning the street, too -

so I'm sure everyone believes
we're in this together.

Kojima believes that consideration for others boosts the atmosphere in the neighborhood

and creates an interconnected chain of beauty.

People will not litter in a place
that is kept immaculate.

I think that's most important,

so I think cleaning in front of
my home encourages that outlook.

"Zazen" is the seated meditation mainly practiced in Zen sects to attain Buddhahood.

Practitioners do it to unify the mind and enter a state of nothingness with no thoughts or feelings.

The ultimate aim is enlightenment.

Hoshun-in is a temple in the Rinzai Daitokuji sect of Zen Buddhism.

Founded over 400 years ago, it is well known for its simple yet attractive garden.

Chief priest Akiyoshi Sokushu has always placed importance on cleaning as part of asceticism.

Both he and his son wake early to clean the expansive building and the garden.

They use tightly wrung wet rags to remove dirt from the tatami after vacuuming first.

They work from side to side, following the orientation of the weave, so as not to miss a spot.

Constant weeding is essential in the garden.

Raking the white gravel to resemble flowing water is also one of the cleaning chores.

Through years of experience, Akiyoshi has learned how to wisely wield a broom.

It has to be a bamboo broom
in Kyoto.

Sweeping the moss, like this,
allows air to reach the roots.

You don't sweep any old way.
There's a special way to benefit the moss.

When wiping down the corridors, instead of kneeling down,

their legs should be spread wide to steady themselves

while their arms glide from side to side as they wipe.

I think monks contemplated
how to work faster -

and do a good job,
and this style naturally evolved.

The cloth is pressed down along the cross grain of the floorboards to wipe between the cracks.

Akiyoshi considers cleaning on a par with "zazen"

as an important part of the ascetic training of a monk or novice.

Cleaning cleanses the soul, right?

When done properly, you benefit
and it exercises your body.

As greed increases, people become preoccupied with worldly desires and lose sight of themselves.

Mental dust accumulates.

Zen Buddhists believe that immersing themselves in cleaning brings them closer to a state of nothingness -

sweeping away the dust; thus honing their minds.

Sunday morning, and Hoshun-in is abuzz with activity.

Parishioners and others who share the spirit of cleaning

as practiced in Zen volunteer to help clean the temple.

Most have been participating for years.

I like the priest and the temple, and I'm
happier when my favorite temple is clean.

It feels great to move my body
once a week.

When the job is done, everyone sits for tea and snacks.

It's a great help.

If you are diligent,
people will help.

That's the truth.

One by one, people came,
and it grew. It's a great help.

He believes that a small gathering like this has a broader impact on the neighborhood.

If temples are well kept,

people will be inclined to follow suit
and clean their own neighborhood.

One person will wake earlier than usual
to help with the cleaning.

Then another and another will join in
until the whole neighborhood is involved.

Akiyoshi feels that Buddhism has influenced Kyotoites' attitude toward cleaning in other ways, too.

Jizo bodhisattva statues dot the Kyoto cityscape.

Jizo is believed to protect children and save people by suffering in their stead,

so people have always felt an affinity toward Jizo.

Residents in each community voluntarily clean the Jizo shrines, and refresh the flowers and water.

Jizo shrines are properly cleaned
and wiped down every morning.

I think that's impressive.

Kyotoites naturally keep their streets
clean as an extension of that.

Respect for sacred statues naturally rouses residents' love for their community.

On Sanjo-dori street in Kyoto's main shopping district stands a cleaning supply store,

which first opened more than 200 years ago.

The brooms, scouring brushes, and other equipment they sell are mostly handmade.

Naito Sachiko is the seventh generation to run the business.

Since we opened, our products have
always been made from natural materials.

Customers understand that
when they buy things. It's our motto.

This shop's signature product is "shuro" palm brooms.

They are even popular with people from overseas.

"Shuro" is a variety of windmill palm native to Japan.

The bark fibers are used to make the brooms.

Since the brooms are handmade with natural materials, they are more expensive, but durable.

I received this broom from my mother-in-law
when I got married.

I've been using it for over 50 years.
It's still working, and that's a plus.

The shop also stocks mini brooms.

They are promoted for use on keyboards and other sensitive surfaces.

"Shuro" palm is used to make other cleaning equipment, too,

such as these scouring brushes for washing dishes.

They scrub away fine particles, so detergent is unneeded.

This variety of scouring brush is suitable for removing stubborn grime from pots and pans,

and washing the corners of angular objects.

Until the 5th-generation owner, there were
broom craftsmen working out back.

No one's making the brooms now in Kyoto,
so I have them made in Wakayama.

Kyoto was once a major producer of "shuro" palm brooms, but no craftsmen are left in the city.

Naito's grandson, Enochi Shigenori decided to revive palm broom production in Kyoto,

to his grandmother's delight.

To that end, a year ago he began commuting to Wakayama,

the main production center south of Osaka, to learn how to make them.

I majored in history at university,

so I got a realistic perspective of
the current state of traditional crafts.

And I wanted to be part of the young talent that will
carry on the crafts, so I chose this career path.

The brooms Enochi makes require adjustments and modifications by his master,

but he finally received permission to sell them in his family's shop - his long-held dream.

It's a thrill to have your handiwork
on sale, but I hope to -

further grasp the fundamentals and produce
good brooms, never compromising quality.

No matter how long
it takes.

Succession in heritage businesses is a common conundrum in the 21st century.

I'm glad. I've done
my duty to the ancestors.

I pray that he becomes
a fully fledged artisan.

Water is sprinkled on the approach to this traditional "ryokan" inn,

giving a feeling of cleanliness.

Watering the pavement is a custom of Kyoto hospitality.

This "ryokan" and traditional restaurant is located nearby Naito's cleaning supply shop.

The building, which was constructed around a century ago as a private residence,

was converted into a "ryokan" in 1952.

The garden covers one-third of the allotment,

so the "ryokan" is an oasis of silence in this busy part of Kyoto.

The restaurant, which also serves the general public, specializes in tempura and other delicacies.

The "ryokan" offers guests an authentic Japanese experience and has played host to luminaries,

such as Paul McCartney and Leonardo di Caprio.

The tatami dining room overlooks the garden.

A close look at the doors, and you see no smudges.

No matter where you look, the "ryokan" is spotless.

Owner Yoshikawa Takehiko has his own views regarding cleaning.

I think of the building as
a living organism, like a child,

so I pay attention to cleaning it
as if I were taking care of my child.

And that's connected to
ensuring a healthy building.

The sole job of four veteran members of staff is cleaning.

The glass doors are first wiped down with a wet cloth and buffed with a dry one.

The Japanese cypress bathtubs in the guest rooms release a refreshing, wood aroma.

But without proper attention, they tend to become moldy.

The staff take care to clean inside light fixtures, the closet corners,

and other places not easily visible to guests' eyes.

Anyone can clean
the middle of a room,

but we don't know what guests
will open for a look,

so we make sure everywhere is spotless,
no matter where they look.

Since the restaurant serves diners for lunch and dinner, the inn has visitors throughout the day.

"Arigato gozaimashita."

Yoshikawa's daughter, Chisato, knows the guests' schedules.

Under her direction, the staff time their movements and clean rooms when they are vacant.

You must decide the order so areas can be
cleaned fully without inconveniencing guests.

We make an effort not to show guests
behind the scenes.

It is imperative that the entranceway is sprinkled with water before guests arrive and before they leave.

We sprinkle water in the street and
pavement to purify areas the guests will pass.

It's part of hospitality to have them
enter and leave along cleansed paths.

The staff put much time and effort into cleaning and watering the path with one aim:

to make the guests' visit as comfortable and luxurious, as possible.

Cleaning every nook and cranny is
a fundamental part of hospitality.

Without that, we cannot offer guests the next
level of hospitality and service. It is essential.

At night, the entertainment district around Kiyamachi-dori street is bustling with diners and revelers.

But at six a.m., Saturday, cleaning equipment is being laid out in the quiet street, ready for use.

Equipment in hand, people fan out across the area and get busy.

This is the Kyoto Shinsengumi volunteer group, which cleans the Kiyamachi-dori area.

Forty or so people of all ages gather every week to make the streets more pleasant for tourists.

The current leader is a university student born and raised in Kyoto.

Cleaning the streets is fun, and everyone
gets to know each other better.

We all become family through cleaning.
It's such a welcoming place to be.

I think it's great -
a place where I belong.

Cleaning the area is a huge undertaking.

Members even hop into the Takase River, which flows alongside the Kiyamachi-dori.

The weekly cleaning session has also turned into a social occasion.

It's fun having breakfast together afterwards
and getting exercise in the morning sun.

There are people of all ages. It's fun talking
together while cleaning up together.

When the group began in 2008, Kiyamachi-dori had a serious problem with litter,

so concerned youths decided to clean the area themselves.

Most of the volunteers, today, live in Kyoto, but some come from neighboring prefectures.

All share admiration for the picturesque scenery of Kiyamachi-dori.

The Takase River is now much cleaner thanks to their efforts.

The groups now works with a local community association,

which provides them with equipment and a meeting place.

These streets come alive at night, so not many people
know who cleans up in the morning.

I appreciate the efforts of
the Shinsengumi to clean the Takase River.

The fact that youths are leading the initiative is inspiring for people in the neighborhood.

I've lived here for 20 years,
and Kyoto's a great city.

I was raised here,

so I want it to be clean, and
I hope everyone continues cleaning it.

Consideration for your neighbors...

Valuing faith and the community...

These principles have nurtured a way of cleaning

that offers a glimpse into the discernment and pride of Kyotoites.