Скачать или смотреть Hundreds of babies participate in 'Crying Sumo' festival in Tokyo

STORY: Parents and babies gathered at Tokyo’s Senso-ji Temple on Saturday (April 26) for a 400-year-old tradition known as the Naki Sumo, or “crying sumo”, festival.

Babies were gently lifted into the air by sumo wrestlers while priests encouraged infants to cry through playful gestures, following the belief that a strong cry signals good health and helps ward off evil spirits.

Despite the tears, the atmosphere remains celebratory, with families seeing the event as a meaningful rite of passage and a unique opportunity to capture a moment they will last for years to come.

“There's an old saying that crying leads to healthy growth, so we wanted our baby to cry a lot following that tradition. But he ended up not crying,” said 27-year-old father Yuji Hashikawa.

The tradition held across the country dates back to the Edo period and is rooted in Shinto practices intended to protect children.

A total of 160 babies accompanied by their parents took part in this year’s festival, according to the organiser.