Japan's 'crying baby sumo' festival returns after pandemic

Dozens of bawling Japanese babies faced off Saturday in a traditional "crying sumo" ritual, believed to bring the infants good health, which returned for the first time in four years after the pandemic.

The "crying sumo" is held at shrines and temples nationwide, to the delight of parents and onlookers.A total of 64 babies participated in the ritual, according to the organiser.

The rules vary from region to region -- in some places parents want their offspring to be the first to cry, in others the first to weep is the loser.