TOKYO, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Japan's coastal city Yokohama on Friday held a water splashing ceremony in Chinatown. The event was aimed to raise people's awareness of saving water and react to heat island effect.
The ceremony began at a Mazu temple in the famous tourist spot. Young people, dressed in both traditional Chinese clothes and Japanese attire, splashed water along the main street of the town despite the sizzling heat in the afternoon. The city saw a maximum temperature of 37 degrees Celsius on Friday amid heat waves troubling the country in large recently.
A city promoter surnamed Masaoka told Xinhua, the water used for spraying was recycled water, rather than tap water. According to the promoter, the campaign served both to highlight the importance of saving water and to cool the city in the hot summer.
The activity had drawn a great number of spectators down the street. About 100 people took part in Friday's splashing event, a noticeable expansion from last year's activity when it was first held. In 2009, only 16 people participated in the event, but it gained huge popularity among the local people.
