Citron bathing on the winter solstice

Guests at a hot spring resort north of Tokyo plunged into an outdoor bath on Tuesday that was filled with 2,010 citrons, the same number as the coming year.

Every year on the winter solstice, a Japanese-style inn located in the city of Nikko offers a hot spring bath with citrons, or Chinese lemons --- also known as yuzu in Japan.

The annual event is based on the tradition that taking a bath with citrons on this day will prevent colds for the year.

The inn put 2,010 yuzu for the coming year and 21 banpeiyu, the largest citrus grown in Japan, to mark the 21st century, into its open-air bath.

Guests enjoyed soaking themselves among the bright yellow fruit bobbing in the spa water.

A female patron said she comes to the event every year because she enjoys the fragrance of the citron bath and it also makes her skin smooth.