Braving heat, participant fears demise of ancient Kyoto festival

Hundreds of participants braved sweltering heat on Friday (July 24) to pull traditional floats through the streets of Kyoto during Japan's centuries-old Gion Matsuri festival. Temperatures in Kyoto have been approaching 104 degrees, a level Japan's government describes as a "brutally hot day," known locally as “kokushobi”, and one participant feared it could soon spell the end of the celebration. - REUTERS