Japanese Special Prayers In Ice Bath Ritual: May COVID-19 End

JAKARTA - The Shinto ice bath ritual at Teppou-zu Inari Temple in Tokyo is performed by only 12 people. They, women and men wearing traditional clothes, men wearing loincloths and women dressed in white.

No spectators are allowed to watch the prayer to purify the soul, and at the same time ask that the COVID-19 pandemic end. This was done because of health crisis considerations. Meanwhile in 2020, more than a hundred people participated.

Reuters reported via Antara, Sunday, January 10, after warming up and singing praises in an open air temperature of 5.1 degrees Celsius, nine male and three female participants entered a pool filled with cold water and blocks. ice.

"I pray that the coronavirus will end as soon as possible," said Shinji Ooi, 65, who led the Yayoikai congregation group at the temple after the ritual.

The participants who were far fewer made the pool water very cold, said a participant named Naoaki Yamaguchi (47).

"Usually there are more participants, and that makes the water temperature a little warmer. But this year, there are only 12 people, so the water is very, very cold," said Yamaguchi.

The temple adds the theme of "preventing epidemics" to the annual ritual, which takes place on the second Sunday of each year and is currently turning its 66th year.

Japan is struggling to fight the cases of COVID-19 infection which has spiked again recently. The capital Tokyo recorded 1,494 new cases on Sunday.

The government declared a limited state of emergency in Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures, which make up 30% of Japan's population, on Thursday, January 7, as a measure to stop the spread of the virus.