Japanese pray for end to pandemic in annual ice bath ritual at Tokyo shrine

There are alternatives to 41° water.

HYPOvitaminosis D may be one of the most important co-morbidities in SEVERE Covod19. This deficiency affects perhaps 40-50% of Humans living at distance from the Equator. This could also account for darker skinned Humans to be more statistically susceptible to the severe form if they live in the north (or south). Vitamin D does not protect from infection but suppresses the severity of the viral attack and avoids the ICU and death.

References (例えば):

https://academic.oup.com/ajcp/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcp/aqaa252/6000689#supplementary-data

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jan/10/does-vitamin-d-combat-covid

41°F water

"a clear sky with outside temperatures at 5.1 degree Celsius..."

My pond is only 8 degrees C and thats dam cold, I put my had in the other day to fish out some dead leafs and twigs from next doors trees, and my hand felt as if it was on fire it was that cold, so to sit in this water thats colder! at chest hight I am surprised they didn't get hypothermia or frost bite on there "mans bits"

it shrinks?

Why are 3 of the 12 wearing masks incorrectly?

I can still hear my Grandma saying "Come ouf of there this minute, or you'll catch your death of cold" from the side of the lukewarm bath when I was a kid.

No social distancing in that photo. Praying in vain. Why not just take a cold shower at home instead?

At my local sento, you have to wait to use the freezing cold bath. Very popular with old men. Not with the wussy young ones...

Prays to get over from covid. Goes home and does of hypothermia.

Dies*

Reminds me of growing up in my cold country where we'd often take a quick dip in the winter time.

Not sure I could handle it nowadays.

@toasted. You are wise. Every year I do the New Year dip in the Sea of Japan. This year snow. Usually jump in for 5 seconds. This year I was stuck in big waves and underwater sands holes for at least 5 minutes. Maybe next year I will go to Okinawa.

Nope, tried it under a waterfall in Kyushu, that was the first and last time I would ever do that, it’ll definitely wake you! But I think doing something like this should be experienced at least once.

What a surprise: scrawny oyajis choose to continue carrying out a ritual they do every year, stick the word COVID on it and pretend it's some kind of action.

Mask protocol in that picture is risible, and zero social distance.

Science would be a wonderful thing to try out from time to time, but ceremony wins every time in this burg.

“No social distancing in that photo. Praying in vain. Why not just take a cold shower at home instead?”

...

“Prays to get over from covid. Goes home and dies of hypothermia.”

...

”What a surprise: scrawny oyajis choose to continue carrying out a ritual they do every year, stick the word COVID on it and pretend it's some kind of action.“

...

“Can't these morons wear a mask properly?”

Let people pray in peace.

Let people pray in peace.

I agree. I deeply respect people that can overpower and control their physical emotions, besides these people aren’t hurting anyone, there as peaceful as anyone can be.

Rather than praying putting the mask OVER YOUR NOSE would be more effective

Only a dozen people took part in the annual event at Teppozu Inari shrine

So this was a failure since not enough people since the gods clearly like hundreds of people praying and paying what a shame I think they needed more to make the coronavirus listen.

surfing in Aomori with an air temperature of -8 this weekend.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CJ0UgFfhTt5/

Ice-swimming (or, Ice-squatting in this case?) has its undisputed health benefits though. It increases the serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin production in the body, as well as enhances your blood circulation and boosts your immune system. A relatively normal thing to do for many people in the nordic countries, for example. ( e.g. : https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ice-swimming-finland/index.html )

It probably isn't such a wise and healthy thing to do so in groups during a pandemic though...

I KNEW IT! All this time my prayers have been unanswered because I did not experience hypothermia first! Tonight I shall fill my bath with ice and Pray!

They’re praying in vain. So? I also wish that instead of 12, it was 0 ( but it was supposed to be more than 100, so people are being careful after all ) because of the pandemic and the soe. But one thing I’m not gonna do is disrespect their traditions and beliefs and make fun of them. Those of you doing that are probably old enough to know the meaning of respect. Older than me I’m sure.

I agree. I deeply respect people that can overpower and control their physical emotions

Seems the ones in the photo aren’t the only people testing the waters.

Literally neck or nothing. Hang in there!

That's what the governments here seem to be doing, too. Just praying it will go away. Certainly aren't doing anything else to prevent it.

And the benifits are? Freezing cold. I think I will pray next to a heater at least I'm warm.

Let people pray in peace.

Gets a slew of downvotes. Tells you all you need to know about the voters here.

Do they seriously believe that it will help?

I spent 2 hours in a sento after this years dip.

Gets a slew of downvotes. Tells you all you need to know about the voters here.

I downvoted this.

I wonder how many of them will be vaccinated.

Or...

Give a man vaccine and you protect him for life. Give a man religion and he will pray for end of virus till he dies of it.

Praying and wearing masks? That doesn’t fit. Not that wearing masks is bad, of course not, but it seems they don’t rely on or trust fully to whatever or whomever they pray. Also, in general, I would put the question, why all those gods or in other religions the one and only god, sends a deadly virus although they all serve and pray all day long. Are the gods bad or sadistic or so? I am just to stupid as an atheist to understand all that....lol