03:41Japan: Devotees take icy dip at Tokyo shrine to purify soul for new year
Forty devotees of the Teppozu Inari Shrine welcomed the new year by plunging into an icy bath in Tokyo on Sunday.
Footage shows dozens of people dressed in white headbands and loincloths before taking a dip in the freezing waters of a large pool, which was cooled with two blocks of ice weighing 135 kilograms.
The Shinto ritual is a tradition that goes back 68 years and is believed to cleanse the soul and bring good health for the year ahead.
03:41Forty devotees of the Teppozu Inari Shrine welcomed the new year by plunging into an icy bath in Tokyo on Sunday.
Footage shows dozens of people dressed in white headbands and loincloths before taking a dip in the freezing waters of a large pool, which was cooled with two blocks of ice weighing 135 kilograms.
The Shinto ritual is a tradition that goes back 68 years and is believed to cleanse the soul and bring good health for the year ahead.