Annual cold-endurance festival held at Shinto shrines in Japan

TOKYO, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Followers of Shintoism poured cold water on themselves for the annual cold-endurance festival in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday.

People poured the water on themselves for a ceremony referred to as Misogi, which is seen as a purification ritual. Believers often fast or pray before the purification ceremony. Young and old participated in the event, and they collected the water with buckets from a large trough.

Shintoism is a native polytheistic religion of Japan dating back to the 7th century BC, centered on ritual and public shrines devoted to the worship of many gods, or kami. It is largest religion in Japan with over 100,000 Shinto shrines in the country.