People came together in Kamakura, near Tokyo, on Sunday to shoulder portable shrines and carry them into the sea to pray for the safety of the community.

The usually annual Shinto ritual of Gosho Shrine returned after a four-year hiatus necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Participants in the ritual carried the portable shrines as they paraded from the main shrine to a beach.

On the way, parents holding small children were allowed to pass beneath the shrines to pray for their children's well-being and healthy growth.

Once the procession reached the beach, a priest recited a prayer, then the participants waded into the sea carrying the shrines and chanting loudly.

A spectator in his 60s said they looked powerful as they braved the high waves.

Ito Haruyoshi, the head of a local group dedicated to preserving the ritual, said the return of the event was long-awaited, especially by the younger residents. He expressed happiness at its success and said he believes the community will have a good year.