Yotsukaido, Japan, February 25, 2008—Spa lovers often tout the health benefits of a mud bath—but wrestling isn't usually part of the treatment.

At the Mimusubi shrine in Yotsukaido, just outside of Tokyo, men in loincloths jostle each other in muddy water as part of a festival praying for a good harvest and health for babies.

Hundreds of local people come to watch the annual event, including babies, who get marked with a dab of mud on their foreheads as a blessing.

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