Traditional court music and dancing are performed in the west precinct of Horyuji temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, on April 3 during a memorial service to mark the 1,400th anniversary of Prince Shotoku's death. (Takaharu Yagi)
IKARUGA, Nara Prefecture--A memorial service to mark the 1,400th anniversary of the death of Prince Shotoku, a reformer in his time who steered the nation toward Buddhism, kicked off at Horyuji temple here on April 3.
The 450 or so guests invited to attend the three-day service all wore face masks as a precaution against infection from the novel coronavirus.
This year's ceremony was on a scale held only once every 100 years.