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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

In an online post, organizers of the festival conceded they had been ... Chief Priest of the Kokusekiji Temple, wrote on the shrine’s website. Japan’s population has been in steady decline ...

The highlight of the event is a procession around the shrine of 13 festival floats ... Foreign Ministry to promote the charms of Japan overseas. The festival will be re-created by five ...

Scantily clad shrine parishioners throw icy cold water on himself during the annual cold-endurance festival at Kanda Myojin Shinto shrine in Tokyo, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, a traditional Japanese ...

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 ...