Milan-Cortina Olympics

Milan-Cortina Olympics

Photo taken on Dec. 22, 2025, shows the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics torch in Pompeii, Italy.

Japan Golf Tour record winner Jumbo Ozaki dies at 78

Japan Golf Tour record winner Jumbo Ozaki dies at 78

Masashi Ozaki lifts the victor's trophy after winning the ANA Open golf tournament at Sapporo Golf Club in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Sept. 22, 2002, becoming the oldest winner on the Japan Golf Tour at 55 years and 7 months. Nicknamed Jumbo Ozaki, he died of sigmoid colon cancer aged 78 on Dec. 23, 2025, after scoring 112 wins, the most for a Japanese player, including 94 on the Japan Golf Tour.

Japan PM Takaichi at ceremony

Japan PM Takaichi at ceremony

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers remarks at a ceremony marking the 140th anniversary of the establishment of the Cabinet system at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Dec. 22, 2025.

Japan PM Takaichi at ceremony

Japan PM Takaichi at ceremony

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers remarks at a ceremony marking the 140th anniversary of the establishment of the Cabinet system at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Dec. 22, 2025.

Ex-Japan PM Suga at ceremony

Ex-Japan PM Suga at ceremony

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (front) attends a ceremony marking the 140th anniversary of the establishment of the Cabinet system at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Dec. 22, 2025.

Ex-Japan PM Aso at ceremony

Ex-Japan PM Aso at ceremony

Former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso (C) attends a ceremony marking the 140th anniversary of the establishment of the Cabinet system at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Dec. 22, 2025.

Japanese H3 rocket fails to put satellite into orbit

Japanese H3 rocket fails to put satellite into orbit

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency project manager Makoto Arita attends a press conference at the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025, after a Japanese H3 rocket failed to deliver the Michibiki No. 5 satellite into the target orbit.

Japanese H3 rocket fails to put satellite into orbit

Japanese H3 rocket fails to put satellite into orbit

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency project manager Makoto Arita attends a press conference at the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025, after a Japanese H3 rocket failed to deliver the Michibiki No. 5 satellite into the target orbit.

Japanese H3 rocket fails to put satellite into orbit

Japanese H3 rocket fails to put satellite into orbit

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Vice President Masashi Okada attends a press conference at the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025, after a Japanese H3 rocket failed to deliver the Michibiki No. 5 satellite into the target orbit.

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami gives a thumbs-up on the field following a press conference where he was introduced after signing his first Major League Baseball contract with the team at Rate Field on Dec. 22, 2025, in Chicago.

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami puts on his new team cap and jersey during a press conference where he was introduced after signing his first Major League Baseball contract with the team at Rate Field on Dec. 22, 2025, in Chicago.

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami gives a thumbs-up on the field following a press conference where he was introduced after signing his first Major League Baseball contract with the team at Rate Field on Dec. 22, 2025, in Chicago.

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami gives a thumbs-up on the field following a press conference where he was introduced after signing his first Major League Baseball contract with the team at Rate Field on Dec. 22, 2025, in Chicago.

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami (L) shakes hands with General Manager Chris Getz on the field following a press conference where he was introduced after signing his first Major League Baseball contract with the team at Rate Field on Dec. 22, 2025, in Chicago.

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami holds up a pair of white socks during a press conference where he was introduced at Rate Field in Chicago on Dec. 22, 2025.

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami (R) holds his jersey with General Manager Chris Getz during a press conference where he was introduced at Rate Field in Chicago on Dec. 22, 2025.

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami gives a thumbs-up during a press conference after signing his first Major League Baseball contract with the team at Rate Field on Dec. 22, 2025, in Chicago.

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami attends a press conference after signing his first Major League Baseball contract with the team at Rate Field on Dec. 22, 2025, in Chicago.

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

Baseball: Japan slugger Murakami joins Chicago White Sox

New Chicago White Sox player Munetaka Murakami attends a press conference after signing his first Major League Baseball contract with the team at Rate Field on Dec. 22, 2025, in Chicago.

Japan H3 rocket mission fails

Japan H3 rocket mission fails

Photo taken on Dec. 22, 2025, shows smoke billowing from the Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite after liftoff from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The rocket failed to place the satellite into orbit after its second-stage engine prematurely cut off shortly after liftoff.

Japan H3 rocket mission fails

Japan H3 rocket mission fails

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency project manager Masashi Okada attends a press conference on Dec. 22, 2025, after an H3 rocket failure the same day at the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

Japan H3 rocket mission fails

Japan H3 rocket mission fails

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 22, 2025, shows a Japanese H3 rocket lifting off from Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, with a Michibiki No. 5 satellite in its payload. The rocket failed to place the satellite into orbit after its second-stage engine prematurely cut off shortly after liftoff.

H3 rocket launch

H3 rocket launch

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 22, 2025, shows the liftoff of a Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

H3 rocket launch

H3 rocket launch

A Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025.

H3 rocket launch

H3 rocket launch

A Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025.

H3 rocket launch

H3 rocket launch

A Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025.

H3 rocket launch

H3 rocket launch

A Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025.

H3 rocket launch

H3 rocket launch

A Japanese H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki No. 5 satellite lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025.

Japan PM Takaichi visits news photo exhibition

Japan PM Takaichi visits news photo exhibition

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi smiles after signing a photo of herself at an exhibition of news photos from 2025 at a department store in Tokyo on Dec. 22, 2025.

Japan PM Takaichi visits news photo exhibition

Japan PM Takaichi visits news photo exhibition

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visits an exhibition of news photos from 2025 at a department store in Tokyo on Dec. 22, 2025.

Japan PM Takaichi visits news photo exhibition

Japan PM Takaichi visits news photo exhibition

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi smiles during a visit to an exhibition of news photos from 2025 at a department store in Tokyo on Dec. 22, 2025.

Japan PM Takaichi visits news photo exhibition

Japan PM Takaichi visits news photo exhibition

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi smiles while holding a camera during a visit to an exhibition of news photos from 2025 at a department store in Tokyo on Dec. 22, 2025.

Figure Skating: Kagiyama

Figure Skating: Kagiyama

Japanese figure skater Yuma Kagiyama meets the press in Tokyo on Dec. 22, 2025, after winning his second straight men's singles at the national championships two days earlier. The win earned Kagiyama a place at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February.

Figure Skating: Sakamoto

Figure Skating: Sakamoto

Japanese figure skater Kaori Sakamoto meets the press in Tokyo on Dec. 22, 2025, a day after winning her fifth straight women's singles title at the national championships and earning a place at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February.

Figure Skating: Nakai

Figure Skating: Nakai

Japanese figure skater Ami Nakai meets the press in Tokyo on Dec. 22, 2025, a day after finishing fourth in the women's singles at the national championships and earning a place at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February.

JR Hachinohe Line partially resumes service

JR Hachinohe Line partially resumes service

The first train departs JR Kuji Station in Kuji in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025, as the JR Hachinohe Line partially resumes service following its suspension after a powerful earthquake hit the region on Dec. 8.

JR Hachinohe Line partially resumes service

JR Hachinohe Line partially resumes service

A man boards a JR Hachinohe Line train at Kuji Station in Kuji in Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Dec. 22, 2025, as the railway partially resumes service following its suspension after a powerful earthquake hit the region on Dec. 8.

Lawsuit by chloroquine side-effect victims

Lawsuit by chloroquine side-effect victims

TOKYO, Japan, Aug. 24 Kyodo - A group of victims who suffer side effects from the drug chloroquine rally in Tokyo's Kasumigaseki district on Dec. 22, 1975, while holding a banner reading, "Give us back light." The plaintiffs lodged a damages suit later in the day for the state's alleged failure to warn patients of the danger of chloroquine, which was used to treat kidney disease. Patients were not informed that it could damage to the eyes, leading gradually to permanent blindness.(Kyodo)

A-bomb exhibition begins in Osaka

A-bomb exhibition begins in Osaka

Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura (2nd from R) and Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui (far R) attend a tape-cutting ceremony on the first day of an exhibition on the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the Osaka International Peace Center in the western Japan city on Aug. 22, 2025. Twenty-six items provided by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bomb museums are on display at the event, which is being held until Dec. 27 to mark the 80th anniversary of the tragedy.

A-bomb exhibition begins in Osaka

A-bomb exhibition begins in Osaka

Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura (front, R) visits an exhibition on the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on its first day at the Osaka International Peace Center in the western Japan city on Aug. 22, 2025. Twenty-six items provided by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bomb museums are on display at the event, which is being held until Dec. 27 to mark the 80th anniversary of the tragedy.

A-bomb exhibition begins in Osaka

A-bomb exhibition begins in Osaka

An exhibition on the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki begins at the Osaka International Peace Center in the western Japan city on Aug. 22, 2025. Twenty-six items provided by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bomb museums are on display at the event, which is being held until Dec. 27 to mark the 80th anniversary of the tragedy.

1st anniversary of Jan. 1 quake in central Japan

1st anniversary of Jan. 1 quake in central Japan

Utility poles remain tilted in Uchinada, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Dec. 22, 2024, ahead of the first anniversary on Jan. 1 of a powerful earthquake that hit the Noto Peninsula area, triggering soil liquefaction in the central Japan town.

Snow in northeastern Japan

Snow in northeastern Japan

Vehicles drive on Dec. 22, 2024, as snow continues to fall in Aomori, northeastern Japan.

Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain

Tourists visit the Trevi Fountain in Rome on Dec. 22, 2024, as it reopens to the public after a three-month restoration. Rome announced a cap of 400 visitors at a time to one of the city's most iconic landmarks as a way to ease overtourism.

Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain

Tourists visit the Trevi Fountain in Rome on Dec. 22, 2024, as it reopens to the public after a three-month restoration. Rome announced a cap of 400 visitors at a time to one of the city's most iconic landmarks as a way to ease overtourism.

Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain

Photo taken on Dec. 22, 2024, shows the Trevi Fountain in Rome as it reopens to the public after a three-month restoration. Rome announced a cap of 400 visitors at a time to one of the city's most iconic landmarks as a way to ease overtourism.

Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain

Rome's Mayor Roberto Gualtieri (2nd from L) tosses a coin into the Trevi Fountain in Rome on Dec. 22, 2024, as it reopens to the public after a three-month restoration. Rome announced a cap of 400 visitors at a time to one of the city's most iconic landmarks as a way to ease overtourism.

Figure skating: Japanese national championships

Figure skating: Japanese national championships

Mone Chiba performs in the women's free program at the national figure skating championships in Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture, on Dec. 22, 2024.

Figure skating: Japanese national championships

Figure skating: Japanese national championships

Mone Chiba performs in the women's free program at the national figure skating championships in Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture, on Dec. 22, 2024.

Figure skating: Japanese national championships

Figure skating: Japanese national championships

Wakaba Higuchi performs in the women's free program at the national figure skating championships in Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture, on Dec. 22, 2024.