Chilling Tradition: Tokyo's Icy Ritual Bids for Health and Prosperity

In Tokyo's Kanda Myojin shrine, participants embraced a freezing ritual to purify their souls and pray for fortune in the new year. The Shinto tradition involves enduring icy cold water while chanting, aiming to ward off evil spirits and usher in good health and prosperity for worshippers.

At Tokyo's Kanda Myojin shrine, participants braved icy conditions for a traditional purification ritual on Saturday. Clad in minimal clothing, participants doused themselves in freezing water as part of a Shinto tradition to cleanse their souls and pray for prosperity in the new year.

The event saw about 40 individuals, mostly men in loincloths and several women in white robes, jogging around the premises before entering the bone-chilling pool. Encouraged by spectators, they took turns pouring water over their heads, shouting motivational chants as part of the endurance exercise.

This ritual underscores the significance of purification in Shintoism, aiming to banish evil spirits and welcome blessings. Shinto, Japan's ancient Indigenous religion, nurtures a cultural belief in animism, emphasizing the spiritual essence in nature and living entities.

(With inputs from agencies.)