ISE, Japan (AP) — Deep in the forests of the Japanese Alps, Shinto priests keep watch as woodsmen dressed in ceremonial white chop their axes into two ancient cypress trees, timing their swings so ...

Dozens of worshipers took a deep breath and a brave plunge into icy waters at a Tokyo shrine Sunday, keeping afloat a New Year tradition to purify the soul and pray for good health. The cold endurance ...

In thousands of Shinto shrines across Japan last week, sober-faced girls in white robes and vermilion skirts practiced the stately postures of the ritualistic Kagura dance. Musicians wearing eboshi ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Participants bathe in ice-cold water to purify their souls and pray for good health during a New Year's ritual at Teppozu Inari ...