A Buddhist monk stands almost motionless outside a train station in Tokyo collecting alms from passers-by. To a westerner the monk appears to be begging as he collects money from people, but in Buddhism, alms or almsgiving, is the respect given by a lay Buddhist to a Buddhist monk or nun. For the monk, the act of collecting alms is act is essentially an exercise in humility and devotion. In Japan almost 70% of the population claim to be Buddhist practitioners and/or believers.