buddhist monks pray for national stability in a ceremony called omisotori. it dates back to the 8th cent y century. in the main ritual held on thursday evening, ten monks climb the long stone stairs to the temple's hall guided by six-meter-long torches weighing about 40 kilograms each. they scattered sparks over spectators below. people cheered as they believe exposure to the sparks keeps them healthy over the coming year. >> translator: i enjoy this event every year, and i prayed for everyone's happiness. >> i prayed for the early reconstruction of northeastern japan. >> the ritual takes place each night for the next two weeks. that wraps up this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. tokyo. thanks for joining us. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >>> on march 11, an earthquake led to a nuclear meltdown. no one was prepared for the disaster. based on firsthand accounts, the fukushima nuclear crisis examines the initial response of government officials, tepco empl