Dozens of people soaked and splashed themselves in painfully icy cold water in a pool at a Tokyo shrine, adhering to Japanese tradition to purify the soul and pray for good health in the new year.

Japan comes alive with matsuri, festivals that celebrate local culture and traditions throughout the country. From the icy ...

TOKYO (AP) — Dozens of people soaked and splashed themselves in painfully icy cold water on Saturday in a pool at a Tokyo shrine, adhering to Japanese tradition to purify the soul and pray for ...

INAZAWA, Aichi Prefecture--Women officially joined a so-called "naked festival" at a shrine in central Japan on Thursday for the first time in the event's 1,250 year history, donning purple robes ...

IBUSUKI, Kagoshima -- The unique "Mendon" festival, featuring a parade of participants wearing bizarre masks who smear black ...

let's go, let's go. This scene has remained largely unchanged for the 1,250 years of the Hadaka Matsuri, or the Naked Festival, at the Konomiya Shrine in central Japan. However, this year marks a ...

The Japanese island of Hashima was closed in 1974 and fell into disrepair, but since the 2000s, it has been reborn as a ...

Sake has a rich history complete with dragons and gods in ancient Japan. Today, the rice wine is still sacred and has UNESCO recognition for its intangible cultural heritage. Explore the rice wine in ...

30—the first time the event has been held outside Japan. Designated ... folk cultural property, the festival is an annual celebration organized by Tensonjinja shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.

Unwrap the mystery of Japan’s spirituality at Unesco ... s 12 deities being carried from the main shrine ground to the falls’ base. The festival culminates with 12 massive torches welcoming ...