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    Japanese pray for an end to the pandemic in annual ice bath ritual at Tokyo shrine

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    Japanese pray for an end to the pandemic in annual ice bath ritual at Tokyo shrine

    Shinto ritual at a Tokyo shrine on Sunday to purify the soul takes place every year


    Published:  January 10, 2021 13:07 Reuters

    1 of 7
    20210110_Tokyo_bath
    Men wearing traditional loin clothes and women dressed in white robes clapped and chanted before going into an ice water bath during a Shinto ritual at a Tokyo shrine on Sunday to purify the soul and pray for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Image Credit: Reuters
    2 of 7
    20210110_Tokyo_bath
    After doing warming-up exercises and chanting under a clear sky with outside temperatures at 5.1 degree Celsius, the nine male and three female participants went into a bath filled with cold water and large ice blocks Image Credit: Reuters
    3 of 7
    20210110_Japan
    "I prayed that the coronavirus comes to an end as soon as possible," said 65-year-old participant Shinji Ooi, who heads the Shrine's 'Yayoikai' parishioner group, after the ritual. Image Credit: Reuters
    4 of 7
    20210110_Tokyo_bath
    Only a dozen people took part in the annual event at Teppou-zu Inari Shrine, scaled down this year due to the health crisis, compared to over a hundred in early 2020. Spectators were not allowed at the event. Image Credit: Reuters
    5 of 7
    20210110_Tokyo_bath
    Japan has struggled to contain a recent surge in coronavirus infections, with Tokyo reporting 1,494 new cases on Sunday. The government declared a limited state of emergency for Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures on Thursday, covering about 30% of the country's population, in a bid to stem the spread. Image Credit: Reuters
    6 of 7
    20210110_Tokyo_bath
    Fewer participants at the Shinto ritual made the water extra cold, participant Naoaki Yamaguchi told Reuters. "Normally we have more participants and it makes the water temperature a little bit warmer. But this year, there were just twelve people, so it (the cold) was crazy," the 47-year-old said. Image Credit: Reuters
    7 of 7
    20210110_Tokyo_bath
    The shrine added the theme of "warding off epidemics" to the annual event, which is held on the second Sunday of each year and is now in its 66th year. Image Credit: Reuters

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