Courtesy of NHK, Fukui Prefecture in Honshu, Japan.

In a long-running tradition over 400 years, men in Fukui Prefecture’s Mihama-cho annually jump into the inlet of Wakasa Bay in mid-January in the midst of cold water and cold air (usually around 0°C) blowing in from the Sea of Japan. The men jump in the water and then eggbeater 40 meters to a line where they pull themselves out.

To see their mid-winter challenge, watch here

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