Japan braves cold water to celebrate spiritual festival

Japanese Shinto followers celebrated the cold water-endurance festival in Tokyo in a ritual called Misogi in which they believe the water purifies their soul. (Photo: AP)

A Japanese Shintoism follower bathes himself in cold water in the ritual called Misogi.

Japanese men and women take part in the annual cold water endurance festival where followers of Shintoism gather in large numbers.

A shinto priest prays for a group of shrine parishioners before the start of the annual cold-endurance festival at the Kanda Myojin Shinto shrine in Tokyo.

A half-naked shrine parishioner using a wooden pot throws cold water on himself during the annual cold-endurance festival at the Kanda Myojin Shinto shrine in Tokyo.

The parishioners take part in a community cold water endurance gathering to purify their souls.

Shrine parishioners run in front of the gate before throwing cold water on themselves before the start of the festival.

The half-naked followers believe that the cold water purifies their souls of all sins.

The annual cold water endurance festival is celebrated by Shintoism followers in Japan.