January 20th is Daikan, one of the 24 solar terms, and is said to be the coldest day of the year. As cold air moved south, Kyoto City recorded a high of 11.1°C (according to the Kyoto Regional Meteorological Observatory) at 12:03 AM. The temperature then continued to drop due to northerly winds, dropping to 1.7°C by 5:23 PM, making for a chilly day.
At Jonangu Shrine in Kyoto's Fushimi Ward, a "Yutate Kagura" Shinto ritual was held, in which boiling water is vigorously sprayed to ward off evil spirits. In the chilly grounds, shrouded in snow, shrine maidens shook off bamboo leaves dipped in the hot water, offering prayers for good health and safety for the year.
It is said that when worshippers are splashed with the hot water, they will be rid of misfortune. While the Yutate Kagura ritual was temporarily suspended at Jonangu Shrine after the war, it was revived in 1979 and is now performed annually.
In the worship hall, four shrine maidens performed the Kagura dances "Fan Dance" and "Suzu Dance" with fans and bells in their hands, after which a shrine maiden wearing a sash added purifying sacred sake and rice to boiling water in a large cauldron in the "Shakutori Ceremony." This was followed by the "Bamboo Dance," in which bundles of bamboo grass were dipped into the cauldron as white steam rose and then shook from side to side to scatter the hot water around them.
Long lines formed as worshippers bathed in the steam, which is said to bring good fortune, and wanted to take home the "Fukuzasa" bamboo used in the ritual.
