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Men carry lanterns as they walk to a river to cleanse their bodies during the Sominsai Festival at Kokuseki-ji Temple in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, on February 17, 2024. The “Sominsai” ritual, widely regarded as one of the strangest festivals in Japan and regularly draws thousands of tourists, became the latest example of this country's aging population crisis that has hit hard rural communities, where many residents have become elderly while young people flock to cities. (Photo by Philip Fong/AFP Photo)
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