Monday was the coldest day of the year in Japan, according to the traditional calendar.

The day was an occasion for some Japanese to purify themselves in the frigid stream of a waterfall.

In Japan, tests of endurance are a way to purify the spirit.

About 40 people took part in the ceremony at a shrine in Toyama prefecture in central Japan.

They took turns standing under a waterfall at eight in the morning, soaking themselves in the 37-degree water.

The oldest of them was 83.

One participant said it felt great, while another said it gave him strength for the coming year.