As the sun peeked out from the cloudy sky in Kyoto, Japan, monks wearing vests trimmed with pompoms and the black box-like headdresses known as tokin were being quizzed in front of Mibu Dera, one of the oldest temples in the city.
These were the Yamabushi (mountain hermits), part of a Buddhist sect known as the Shugendō.
To enter the temple’s sacred area, each monk had to prove he was a real Yamabushi by answering a series of questions about the sect’s beliefs, dress and tools.
Only those with satisfactory responses would gain access.
Locations:
Kyoto, Japan