People laugh off bad memories in year-end Osaka shrine ritual

A crowd of people gathered Monday to participate in a year-end Shinto ritual in Osaka, western Japan, to laugh off all the bad memories of the past year. 

The annual event took place at Hiraoka Shrine in Higashiosaka City.

The ritual is based on a Japanese myth that the gods’ loud laughter opened a rock cave in which the sun goddess had locked herself.

After the chief priest gave a signal, participants laughed loudly for 20 minutes. One of the participants said the bad memories were blown away with everyone's laughter.