The Nakizumo crying baby festival in Tokyo – in pictures

Novice wrestlers hold babies in an outdoor dohyō at the Sensoji temple in Tokyo Photograph: Shizuo Kambayashi/AP

Some Japanese parents believe that sumo wrestlers can help make babies cry out a wish to grow up with good health Photograph: Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images

All of the children taking part were born in 2012 Photograph: Shizuo Kambayashi/AP

The event is held to celebrate babies' growth and pray for their good health Photograph: Kiyoshi Ota/EPA

A baby in a sumo suit goes head-to-head with another child to determine who can cry the loudest and longest Photograph: Kiyoshi Ota/EPA

A man wearing a mask of an oni, or ogre, tries to scare a baby into crying Photograph: Kiyoshi Ota /EPA

A wrestler goads a child into crying Photograph: Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images