Photo= Men wearing ornamental sumo aprons running in the bitterly cold weather (Tango-cho, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture)

"Hyakudo-Uchi," a local traditional ceremony of "Setsubun," or the day before the beginning of spring in Japan, was held on February 7, in Oganari-ku, Taiza, Tango-cho, Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture. In extremely cold weather with occasional flurries of snow, men dressed in ornamental sumo aprons ran to visit shrines, making spirited cries heard across the fishing district.

The "Hyakudo-Uchi" ceremony has been handed down from the Edo Period. Commemorating a sumo tour that was held in Taiza, young men wear sumo aprons on which the names of local sights, such as "Tateiwa," "Nochigahama," "Omagata" and others, are woven, and run as a form of prayer for good health, family safety, and so on.

This year, eight men in their twenties to forties participated. Starting from the community center of Oganari-ku, they picked up pebbles on the beach, and ran around the region crying, "Wasshoi, Wasshoi," as their breath blew out in white puffs. They dedicated the pebbles at three shrines, Mihashira Shrine, Inari Shrine and Hayao Shrine. Hashihito Nakae, a company employee, said, "I am filled with deep emotion because I have finished the run. I prayed that everyone can lead happy lives."