the annual shinto ritual at teppou—zu inari shrine attracts nationwide attention. parish, would be taking part. but this year, this has been scaled down because of the health crisis. no spectators are allowed. translation: i prayed that the coronavirus comes to an end as soon as possible, and i also prayed that we have ordinary daily lives. translation: normally, we have more people taking part, which makes the water temperature a little bit warmer. but this year, there were just 12 of us, so the freezing cold temperature was crazy. japan has struggled to contain a recent surge in coronavirus infections, with tokyo reporting nearly 1,500 new cases on sunday. the government declared a limited state of emergency for tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures on thursday, covering almost a third of the country's population, in a bid to limit the spread. regional governors have asked for the state of emergency to be extended to their prefectures. with the ritual over and their souls purified, the participants pay their respects to the shrine in the hope their prayers will