Japanese monks have been skipping, skating and juggling to show how unrestrictive their traditional attire is.
Photo: Twitter
It comes after a monk was fined by police for driving while wearing a kimono because it "could affect safe driving", according to the Yomiuri Shimbun.
He has refused to pay the traffic ticket of 6000 yen ($NZ82) and the Buddhist community has come out to show its support online.
Monks have been posting videos of themselves on Twitter doing agile acts with the hashtag "I can do this in monks' robes".
話題なので・・！ 衣でも十分動けますし、運転になんの支障もありゃしませんw ついでにジャグリング納めです・・！#僧衣でできるもん pic.twitter.com/F1b8qemYeO
— てつっていう (@detteiu1109) December 31, 2018
運転に支障があるとの事ですが、お坊さんの衣は足もちゃんと動きますよ。
— とっしゃん@お坊さん大道芸人 (@tossyan753) December 31, 2018
#僧衣でできるもん pic.twitter.com/PVb1jepZQP
これだけできるんだから、運転ぐらい困ることはないよね。#僧衣でできるもん pic.twitter.com/TneoRtCNMD
— へんも@ブロガー&足技で日本一の住職 (@henmority) December 31, 2018
あった。
— 横山瑞法(Zuiho Yokoyama) (@zuiho_yokoyama) December 30, 2018
回数微妙ですが二重跳び。#僧衣でできるもん pic.twitter.com/heMgVnv1wM
The monk was stopped by police last September while on his way to a Buddhist memorial service in Japan's Fukui province, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
The article in the Yomiuri was published in December and seems to have sparked the now viral hashtag.
According to Yomiuri, the officer reportedly said that the "sleeves and length" of his robes would affect his driving.
Road traffic law prohibits the driving of a vehicle in clothes that may affect safe driving, but not all Buddhist monk robes are subject to the violation, Yomiuri cited an official as saying, leaving the rules vague.
The monk, who has not been named but described as in his 40s, said he had been driving for 20 years in monks robes and had never been fined.
He could face trial under local traffic laws if he does not pay the traffic fine.
- BBC
