New cat stationmaster

New cat stationmaster

Calico cat Yontama (R) is pictured after being appointed the third feline stationmaster alongside a feline apprentice recruit, Rokutama, at Wakayama Electric Railway's Kishi Station in Kinokawa in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025. Yontama succeeded Nitama, the second stationmaster who died in November, continuing a nearly two-decade tradition that has boosted tourism and helped save the line from financial trouble.

Bank of Japan

Bank of Japan

The Bank of Japan's head office is pictured in Tokyo on Dec. 13, 2025.

Bank of Japan

Bank of Japan

The Bank of Japan's head office is pictured in Tokyo on Dec. 13, 2025.

Aftermath of strong quake in Japan

Aftermath of strong quake in Japan

A morning market is near empty on Dec. 13, 2025, in Hakodate in Hokkaido, northern Japan, after the national weather agency warned of the possibility of a strong earthquake striking the region following a magnitude 7.5 quake that jolted Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Dec. 8.

Aftermath of strong quake in Japan

Aftermath of strong quake in Japan

A morning market is near empty on Dec. 13, 2025, in Hakodate in Hokkaido, northern Japan, after the national weather agency warned of the possibility of a strong earthquake striking the region following a magnitude 7.5 quake that jolted Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Dec. 8.

Aftermath of strong quake in Japan

Aftermath of strong quake in Japan

A morning market is near empty on Dec. 13, 2025, in Hakodate in Hokkaido, northern Japan, after the national weather agency warned of the possibility of a strong earthquake striking the region following a magnitude 7.5 quake that jolted Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Dec. 8.

Year-end cleanup at eastern Japan temple

Year-end cleanup at eastern Japan temple

Staff dust off Naritasan Shinsho-ji temple during annual year-end cleaning in Narita in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Year-end cleanup at eastern Japan temple

Year-end cleanup at eastern Japan temple

Staff dust off Naritasan Shinsho-ji temple during annual year-end cleaning in Narita in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Year-end cleanup at eastern Japan temple

Year-end cleanup at eastern Japan temple

Staff dust off Naritasan Shinsho-ji temple during annual year-end cleaning in Narita in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Year-end cleanup at eastern Japan temple

Year-end cleanup at eastern Japan temple

Staff dust off Naritasan Shinsho-ji temple during annual year-end cleaning in Narita in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Year-end cleanup at eastern Japan temple

Year-end cleanup at eastern Japan temple

Staff dust off Naritasan Shinsho-ji temple during annual year-end cleaning in Narita in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Nanjing Massacre memorial

Nanjing Massacre memorial

People pray in Nanjing, China, on Dec. 13, 2025, in remembrance of the victims of a 1937 massacre committed by the Imperial Japanese Army in the eastern Chinese city.

Nanjing Massacre memorial

Nanjing Massacre memorial

Children pray in Nanjing, China, on Dec. 13, 2025, in remembrance of the victims of a 1937 massacre committed by the Imperial Japanese Army in the eastern Chinese city.

Nanjing Massacre memorial ceremony

Nanjing Massacre memorial ceremony

A state memorial ceremony is held in Nanjing, China, on Dec. 13, 2025, to remember victims of the 1937 massacre committed by the Imperial Japanese Army in the eastern Chinese city.

Nanjing Massacre memorial ceremony

Nanjing Massacre memorial ceremony

A state memorial ceremony is held in Nanjing, China, on Dec. 13, 2025, to remember victims of the 1937 massacre committed by the Imperial Japanese Army in the eastern Chinese city.

Nanjing Massacre memorial ceremony

Nanjing Massacre memorial ceremony

A state memorial ceremony is held in Nanjing, China, on Dec. 13, 2025, to remember victims of the 1937 massacre committed by the Imperial Japanese Army in the eastern Chinese city.

Nanjing Massacre memorial ceremony

Nanjing Massacre memorial ceremony

A state memorial ceremony is held in Nanjing, China, on Dec. 13, 2025, to remember victims of the 1937 massacre committed by the Imperial Japanese Army in the eastern Chinese city.

Nanjing Massacre memorial ceremony

Nanjing Massacre memorial ceremony

A state memorial ceremony is held in Nanjing, China, on Dec. 13, 2025, to remember victims of the 1937 massacre committed by the Imperial Japanese Army in the eastern Chinese city.

Symposium on N. Korea's abductions

Symposium on N. Korea's abductions

Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, speaks at a government-sponsored symposium on the issue in Tokyo on Dec. 13, 2025. He called for the early return of abductees including his older sister Megumi, who was abducted by North Korea in 1977 aged 13.

Football: Premier League

Football: Premier League

Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton passes the ball in the second half of an English Premier League football match against Liverpool in Liverpool, England, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Football: Premier League

Football: Premier League

Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton passes the ball in the second half of an English Premier League football match against Liverpool in Liverpool, England, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Breaking: World championships

Breaking: World championships

Japan's Ayumi Fukushima performs en route to winning silver in the women's category at the breaking world championships in Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Breaking: World championships

Breaking: World championships

Japan's Hiroto Ono performs en route to winning bronze in the men's category at the breaking world championships in Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Breaking: World championships

Breaking: World championships

Japan's Shigeyuki Nakarai (C) poses after winning gold in the men's category at the breaking world championships in Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025, alongside compatriots Isshin Hishikawa (L) and Hiroto Ono, who won silver and bronze, respectively.

Breaking: World championships

Breaking: World championships

Japan's Isshin Hishikawa performs en route to winning silver in the men's category at the breaking world championships in Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Breaking: World championships

Breaking: World championships

Japan's Shigeyuki Nakarai performs en route to winning the men's final at the breaking world championships in Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Boxing: Naoya Inoue opens training

Boxing: Naoya Inoue opens training

Undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (R) of Japan opens a training session to the media at his gym in Yokohama near Tokyo on Dec. 13, 2025, before taking on challenger Alan Picasso of Mexico in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 27.

Boxing: Naoya Inoue opens training

Boxing: Naoya Inoue opens training

Undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue of Japan opens a training session to the media at his gym in Yokohama near Tokyo on Dec. 13, 2025, before taking on challenger Alan Picasso of Mexico in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 27.

Boxing: Naoya Inoue opens training

Boxing: Naoya Inoue opens training

Undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue of Japan opens a training session to the media at his gym in Yokohama near Tokyo on Dec. 13, 2025, before taking on challenger Alan Picasso of Mexico in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 27.

Boxing: Naoya Inoue opens training

Boxing: Naoya Inoue opens training

Undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue of Japan opens a training session to the media at his gym in Yokohama near Tokyo on Dec. 13, 2025, before taking on challenger Alan Picasso of Mexico in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 27.

Funeral for cat stationmaster

Funeral for cat stationmaster

A funeral for cat stationmaster Nitama is held at Wakayama Electric Railway's Kishi Station in Kinokawa in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025, following the cat's death in November at age 15.

Nobel laureate Sakaguchi visits univ. near Stockholm

Nobel laureate Sakaguchi visits univ. near Stockholm

Shimon Sakaguchi, co-winner of 2025 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, gives a lecture at Uppsala University near Stockholm on Dec. 13, 2025, following the award ceremony on Dec. 10. Founded in 1477, Uppsala is the oldest university in the Nordic countries.

Nobel laureate Sakaguchi visits univ. near Stockholm

Nobel laureate Sakaguchi visits univ. near Stockholm

Shimon Sakaguchi, co-winner of 2025 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, gives a lecture at Uppsala University near Stockholm on Dec. 13, 2025, following the award ceremony on Dec. 10. Founded in 1477, Uppsala is the oldest university in the Nordic countries.

Nobel laureate Sakaguchi visits univ. near Stockholm

Nobel laureate Sakaguchi visits univ. near Stockholm

Shimon Sakaguchi, co-winner of 2025 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, gives a lecture at Uppsala University near Stockholm on Dec. 13, 2025, following the award ceremony on Dec. 10. Founded in 1477, Uppsala is the oldest university in the Nordic countries.

Football: German Bundesliga

Football: German Bundesliga

Ritsu Doan of Eintracht Frankfurt (front, R) is congratulated by teammates after scoring in the second half of a German Bundesliga football match against Augsburg in Frankfurt on Dec. 13, 2025.

Football: German Bundesliga

Football: German Bundesliga

Ritsu Doan of Eintracht Frankfurt (front, R) is congratulated by teammates after scoring in the second half of a German Bundesliga football match against Augsburg in Frankfurt on Dec. 13, 2025.

Football: German Bundesliga

Football: German Bundesliga

Ritsu Doan of Eintracht Frankfurt reacts after scoring in the second half of a German Bundesliga football match against Augsburg in Frankfurt on Dec. 13, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Japan's Miyabi Onitsuka (C) poses after winning the women's big air gold at a snowboarding World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 13, 2025, alongside silver medalist Yu Seung Eun (L) of South Korea and bronze medalist Ally Hickman of Australia.

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Japan's Kira Kimura competes en route to winning the men's big air silver at a snowboarding World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Japan's Kira Kimura competes en route to winning the men's big air silver at a snowboarding World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Japan's Hiroto Ogiwara competes en route to winning the men's big air gold at a snowboarding World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Japan's Kira Kimura competes en route to winning the men's big air silver at a snowboarding World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Japan's Hiroto Ogiwara competes en route to winning the men's big air gold at a snowboarding World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Japan's Hiroto Ogiwara competes en route to winning the men's big air gold at a snowboarding World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Japan's Hiroto Ogiwara celebrates after winning the men's big air gold at a snowboarding World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Japan's Hiroto Ogiwara celebrates after winning the men's big air gold at a snowboarding World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Japan's Hiroto Ogiwara smiles after winning the men's big air gold at a snowboarding World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Japan's Miyabi Onitsuka poses after winning the women's big air gold at a snowboarding World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Japan's Miyabi Onitsuka reacts after winning the women's big air gold at a snowboarding World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 13, 2025.

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Snowboarding: World Cup in Steamboat Springs

Japan's Miyabi Onitsuka reacts after winning the women's big air gold at a snowboarding World Cup event in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on Dec. 13, 2025.