Jan. 7 (UPI) --A formal ceremony heralded the start of the Japan's sumo wrestling season at the Meiji Jingu shrine on Tuesday, two months after a U.S. man was arrested for desecrating it.

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.

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 ...