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Naked Japanese Men Take Ice Bath to Pray for End of COVID-19 Pandemic

Men in loincloths braved frigid temperatures to dedicate the annual ice bath event at the Teppou-zu Inari Shrine to the end of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nine men wearing only loincloths and three women in white robes dipped into an ice bath during the annual Shinto ritual at the Teppou-zu Inari Shrine in Tokyo Sunday morning to pray for the end of the coronavirus pandemic. The annual event meant to purify the soul usually draws hundreds of bathers, but was scaled down due to the pandemic. Spectators were not allowed to the event and fewer participants made the water “extra cold” participant Naoaki Yamaguchi told Reuters. “Normally we have more participants and it makes the water temperature a little bit warmer. But this year, there were just twelve people, so it (the cold) was crazy.”