Splashing out

Spend any amount of time wandering around Japan in the summer and you will come across middle aged men earnestly spraying water on perfectly clean pavements and driveways in the late afternoon. Why do they do that? I'm not sure. I've been told it is to cool the concrete down (begs the question, why?) I think it must have some connection with purification rituals and bathing rites that the Japanese go in for. Seems like a terrible waste of water to me, but give me a few years and I'll probably be doing the same.