Buddhist monks in Japan have posted videos on social media showing off various athletic feats to prove their robes do not impede safe driving, after a member of their order received a fine.

Earlier this year the unnamed monk, said to be in his 40s, was pulled over by police in Fukui prefecture in western Japan and told he could not drive in his "constricting" sōi  robes.

He was then fined 6,000 yen (£43) for "driving in a kimono that could affect safety."

Reports of the fine spurred Japan’s Buddhist monks into action, with several posting videos online that showed they were capable of remarkable skill and dexterity while wearing the supposedly cumbersome garments.

One video clip shows a monk skipping on one foot, while in another a sōi-clad man juggles with green skittles.

According to The Japan News, the monk was on his way to a Buddhist memorial service and the garment he was wearing had long sleeves and fell below his knees, which may have led police to fear it would interfere with the car’s foot pedals.

It is understood that the monk has refused to pay the fine and has sought legal advice, as well as guidance from his Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha sect in Kyoto.

However, police say if the monk refuses to pay up then he could find himself in court.

“I’d like to clearly state at a trial that I can drive safely in a monk robe,” the monk was quoted as saying by the newspaper, which did not supply his name. 

A local police spokesman said that "not all Buddhist monk robes are subject to the [traffic] violation," suggesting the officer who fined the monk was using his own discretion.   

It would not be the first time a Japanese monk has become embroiled in legal action. 

In May a Buddhist monk sued his temple on Mount Koya, one of the most sacred sites in Japan, claiming the non-stop work and catering for tourists left him suffering from depression.