Image search results - "kanchu"
te020-976-35.jpg
Teppozu Inari Shrine, near Hatchobori Station on the Hibiya subway line.
te021-975-16.jpg
In front of the shrine were two large tubs of freezing-cold water with a few large blocks of ice await. The Kanchu Suiyoku (Mid-winter Cold Water Bath) is held on the second Sunday of Jan.
te022-975-14.jpg
The men (and one woman) about to take a dip standby in this shrine meeting hall.
te023-975-17.jpg
First the shrine priest came out.
te024-975-18.jpg
The shrine priest was followed by some 15 or so people ready for their freezin-cold water ablution bath.
te025-975-22.jpg
First they give a few prayers led by the shrine priest.
te026-975-28.jpg
Then the shrine priest, who was in his 80s, started some warm-up exercises.
te027-975-29.jpg
Everyone followed the priest's lead.
te028-975-32.jpg
te029-975-33.jpg
te030-975-34.jpg
In 2007, the water tub was replaced with a much larger pool able to fit 60 people. But I like this smaller tub.
te031-975-36.jpg
There were no musicians on stage like they have now. It was a pretty quiet ritual, and the crowd was quite small.
te032-976-2.jpg
Then they ran around the shrine.
te033-976-3.jpg
The shrine priest was then the first to enter the bath.
te034-976-4.jpg
Without flinching, he took a dip. This is quite tame compared to what he does every Feb: Swim in the icy Sea of Okhotsk off Abashiri, Hokkaido.
te035-976-6.jpg
The shrine priest is Nakagawa Masamitsu, still looking youthful in his 80s. This freezing water bath event started at a health club in Ichikawa, Chiba in 1956. But 4 years later, it could not be held any longer so it moved here.
te036-976-7.jpg
The rest of the people also jump in the tub.
te037-976-8.jpg
te038-976-9.jpg
The shrine priest had charisma and spunk.
te039-976-10.jpg
For about 5-10 min. they all sat in the frigid water and chanted while praying. They prayed for good health for themselves and their families.
te040-976-12.jpg
Cold-water ablutions is not unusual in ascetic Buddhism, but to see it at a Shinto shrine is unusual.
te041-976-15.jpg
These photos were taken in the 1997.
te042-976-13.jpg
te043-976-18.jpg
The man on the lower right kept hugging this big block of ice.
te044-976-16.jpg
This was the second time I saw this, and each time there was one woman.
te045-976-19.jpg
te046-976-21.jpg
te047-976-23.jpg
To this man, ice water is a healthy thing. I know I would never do this.
te048-976-27.jpg
te049-976-29.jpg
The man is still hugging his ice.
te050-976-31.jpg
This shrine priest does not appear in recent photos of this ritual, so he might have passed away. This festival won't be the same without him.
te051-976-33.jpg
The priest is all smiles after the bath.
te052-976-34.jpg
It was all over after about 30 min. See the shrine's office site here.
     
33 files on 1 page(s)