An event was held on the coast of Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, to show the first swim of the ancient swimming method "Mizuto-ryu", which has been passed down since the Edo period.
Mizuto-ryu is said to have originated in the Edo period when the first feudal lord of the Takamatsu domain made his retainers learn it as one of the martial arts, and it has been designated as an intangible cultural property of the city.
Every year, the local preservation society holds an event to show off the first swim at Omataba Beach in Takamatsu City every New Year, and 30 people including members of the preservation society participated this year.
On the 3rd, it was sunny around the coast in the morning, but it was cold enough for this time of year.
Then, to celebrate the New Year, one of the members performed a “water calligraphy” where they used a brush to write letters on paper while treading water, and finished writing the “U” of this year.
Afterwards, the participants performed traditional swimming, swimming sideways with their heads out of the water, and using unique hand movements to paddle in the water, to the sound of Japanese drums.
A 73-year-old man, who participated for the 34th time this time, said, ``It was very cold, but it ended safely.