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Year-end cleaning at Himeji Castle

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force personnel perform year-end cleaning of Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on Dec. 16, 2025, in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan.

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Year-end cleaning at Himeji Castle

A member of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force performs year-end cleaning of Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on Dec. 16, 2025, in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan.

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Himeji Castle lit up in yellow

Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, is lit up in yellow on March 8, 2025, to symbolize the mimosa flower, the symbol of the U.N.-designated International Women's Day, which is celebrated the same day.

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Himeji Castle lit up in yellow

Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, is lit up in yellow on March 8, 2025, to symbolize the mimosa flower, the symbol of the U.N.-designated International Women's Day, which is celebrated the same day.

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World Exposition in Osaka

Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, secretary general of the Bureau International des Expositions, attends a press conference in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, on Jan. 16, 2025, as a meeting of countries participating in the World Exposition in Osaka is held in the western Japan city ahead of the event starting in April.

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Year-end cleaning at Himeji Castle

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force personnel clean the World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 19, 2024, ahead of the New Year.

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Year-end cleaning at Himeji Castle

A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force member cleans the World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 19, 2024, ahead of the New Year.

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Year-end cleaning at Himeji Castle

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force personnel clean the World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 19, 2024, ahead of the New Year.

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Pond frog

Photo taken on July 24, 2024, shows a black-spotted pond frog at an aquarium in Himeji, western Japan.

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Pond frog

Photo taken on July 24, 2024, shows a black-spotted pond frog at an aquarium in Himeji, western Japan.

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Japanese common toad

Photo taken July 25, 2024, shows a Japanese common toad at an aquarium in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan.

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Japanese common toad

Photo taken July 25, 2024, shows Japanese common toads at an aquarium in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan.

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[Breaking News]300 days to go until 2025 Osaka Expo

World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle is lit up in red and blue in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on June 17, 2024, marking 300 days to go until the start of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka.(Kyodo)

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300 days to go until 2025 Osaka Expo

World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle is lit up in red and blue in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on June 17, 2024, marking 300 days to go until the start of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka.

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300 days to go until 2025 Osaka Expo

World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle is lit up in red and blue in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on June 17, 2024, marking 300 days to go until the start of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka.

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300 days to go until 2025 Osaka Expo

World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle is lit up in red and blue in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on June 17, 2024, marking 300 days to go until the start of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka.

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Himeji Castle

Photo taken Jan. 30, 2024, shows the World-Heritage listed Himeji Castle in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan.

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Year-end cleaning at Himeji Castle

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members clean a moat at World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 14, 2023, ahead of the New Year.

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World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle

Photo taken on Nov. 17, 2023, shows Himeji Castle in the western Japan city of Himeji ahead of the 30th anniversary on Dec. 11 of its registration on the World Heritage list.

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Sea-air integrated drone

Photo taken on Jan. 27, 2023, shows a commercial drone capable of both flying in the air and operating underwater during a practice exercise in the Seto Inland Sea off the coast of Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan.

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Sea-air integrated drone

Photo taken on Jan. 27, 2023, shows a commercial drone capable of both flying in the air and operating underwater during a practice exercise in the Seto Inland Sea off the coast of Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan.

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Year-end cleaning at Himeji Castle

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force personnel clean World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 20, 2022, ahead of the New Year.

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Year-end cleaning at Himeji Castle

A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force member cleans World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle in Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 20, 2022, ahead of the New Year.

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Cleaning of Himeji Castle ahead of New Year

KOBE, Japan, Dec. 20 Kyodo - Ground Self-Defense Force members on Dec. 20, 2017, sweep the soot off Himeji Castle, a hilltop castle complex located in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan ahead of New Year. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the castle, known as White Heron Castle because of its brilliant white exterior, is one of the most visited castles in Japan.

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Computer software beats top shogi pro

HIMEJI, Japan, May 21 Kyodo - Amahiko Sato (front), a Meijin grandmaster, or top professional player of shogi Japanese chess, loses to shogi software "Ponanza" on May 20, 2017, in the final round of the human vs. computer two-match shogi series, at Himeji Castle in western Japan. Sato had also lost in the first round.

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Centenarian woman to sing Choral for last time

KOBE, Japan - Centenarian Chiyoko Fujii (C) practices Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, with a choir in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, on Dec. 12, 2014, for her final performance the following day in the western Japan city. Her daughter Kazumi Tsukutani is on the right.

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'Takigi Noh' performed under illuminated Himeji Castle

HIMEJI, Japan - "Takigi Noh," a traditional Japanese musical drama, is played against the backdrop of the illuminated Himeji Castle in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, on Aug. 1, 2014. "Takigi Noh" is a special form of Noh performed on an outdoor stage lit by "takigi" firewood after dark. The recently refurbished castle is a national treasure of Japan and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Wreckage of exploded tanker pulled out of water

OSAKA, Japan - The Shoko Maru, an oil tanker sunk into the sea after an explosion in May 2014, is being salvaged off Himeji port in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on July 23, 2014, to investigate the cause of the blast.

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World Heritage site Himeji Castle reappears after repair

KOBE, Japan - The main keep of Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, is photographed from a Kyodo News helicopter on June 14, 2014. The castle, under repair since October 2009, is scheduled to reopen in March 2015.

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Himeji power station awaits summer

OSAKA, Japan - Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Himeji No. 2 thermal power station in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, is shown to the press on June 3, 2014, after the completion of renewal works. It is expected to operate at full-capacity this summer to compensate for the suspended nuclear power plants.

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Explosion-hit tanker floats in wreckage in western Japan

OSAKA, Japan - The badly damaged tanker Shoko Maru lies stricken in the Seto Inland Sea off Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on May 29, 2014, after an explosion ripped through it earlier in the day.

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Tanker explosion

HIMEJI, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows black smoke rising from the tanker Shoko Maru in the Seto Inland Sea off Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan, after an explosion aboard the vessel on May 29, 2014. The captain of the 998-ton fuel tanker is missing and four crew members sustained severe injuries.

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Tanker explosion

HIMEJI, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows black smoke rising from the tanker Shoko Maru in the Seto Inland Sea off Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan, after an explosion aboard the vessel on May 29, 2014. The captain of the 998-ton fuel tanker is missing and four crew members sustained severe injuries.

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Tanker explosion

HIMEJI, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows black smoke rising from the tanker Shoko Maru, while firefighting is under way, in the Seto Inland Sea off Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan, after an explosion aboard the vessel on May 29, 2014. The captain of the 998-ton fuel tanker is missing and four crew members sustained severe injuries.

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Tanker explosion

HIMEJI, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows black smoke rising from the tanker Shoko Maru, while firefighting is under way, in the Seto Inland Sea off Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan, after an explosion aboard the vessel on May 29, 2014. The captain of the 998-ton fuel tanker is missing and four crew members sustained severe injuries.

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Tanker explosion

HIMEJI, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows black smoke rising from the tanker Shoko Maru, while firefighting is under way, in the Seto Inland Sea off Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan, after an explosion aboard the vessel on May 29, 2014. The captain of the 998-ton fuel tanker is missing and four crew members sustained severe injuries.

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Tanker explosion

HIMEJI, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows black smoke rising from the tanker Shoko Maru, while firefighting is under way, in the Seto Inland Sea off Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan, after an explosion aboard the vessel on May 29, 2014. The captain of the 998-ton fuel tanker is missing and four crew members sustained severe injuries.

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Sand-made Himeji Castle at Sand Festa

KAGOSHIMA, Japan - A sand sculpture of World Heritage and national treasure Himeji Castle attracts attention at the annual Sand Festa on May 2, 2014, in the sand dune area of Minamisatsuma, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

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White lion cubs

KOBE, Japan - Photo shows white lion cubs being shown to public on July 13, 2013, at Himeji Central Park in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan.

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30 foreign applicants pass nursing examination in Japan

KOBE, Japan - Laraswaty Suyono, an Indonesian nurse, holds a press conference at a hospital in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, where she works on March 25, 2013. Suyono is among a total of 30 applicants from the Philippines and Indonesia who have passed an examination held in February qualifying them to work as nurses in Japan.

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Male beauty therapists, nail artists on increase

TOKYO, Japan - Beauty therapist Yoshinori Okamoto performs massage therapy on Dec. 13, 2012 at a salon he opened in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, in May 2011.

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Explosions at chemical plant in Hyogo Pref.

HIMEJI, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a burning fire engine (L center) at Nippon Shokubai Co.'s chemical plant in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture on Sept. 29, 2012. A firefighter died and dozens of other people were injured after two explosions occurred as firefighters worked to control a fire that broke out at the plant around 2 p.m.

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Explosions at chemical plant in Hyogo Pref.

HIMEJI, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows black smoke billowing from Nippon Shokubai Co.'s chemical plant in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture on Sept. 29, 2012. A firefighter died and dozens of other people were injured after two explosions occurred as firefighters worked to control a fire that broke out at the plant around 2 p.m.

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Explosions at chemical plant in Hyogo Pref.

HIMEJI, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows flames and black smoke billowing out of Nippon Shokubai Co.'s chemical plant in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture on Sept. 29, 2012. A firefighter died and dozens of other people were injured after two explosions occurred as firefighters worked to control a fire that broke out at the plant around 2 p.m.

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'B-grade' gourmet competition has legion of visitors

OSAKA, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Nov. 12, 2011 shows the venue of the sixth B-1 Grand Prix in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. According to the organizer, 515,000 people in total visited the so called 'B-grade' local gourmet competition held on Nov. 12-13. ''B-grade gourmet'' is a Japanese term for ordinary yet tasty foods, such as ramen noodles, and curry with rice.

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Paddy art of Himeji Castle

OSAKA, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Aug. 4, 2011, shows an image of Himeji Castle made with six rice varieties having different colors on a 90-meter by 180-meter field at the foot of Mt. Shosha in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan. The paddy image can be viewed in its finest colors through late September, according to local citizens who created it.

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White lion cubs at Hyogo zoo

KOBE, Japan - Photo shows three white lion cubs at Himeji Central Park in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on June 24, 2011. They were born at the amusement complex on June 20.

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Himeji Castle

OSAKA, Japan - Photo taken in February 2005 shows Himeji Castle with ''shachihoko'' statues gracing the top of the castle keep in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture. The castle in western Japan was registered as a World Cultural Heritage site by U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

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Refurbishing Himeji Castle

HIMEJI, Japan - A ''shachihoko'' statue is brought down to the ground from the top of the castle keep of Himeji Castle, a World Cultural Heritage site in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, on June 8, 2011, for the first time in about 50 years during a refurbishment.

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Lookout to view rooftop of Himeji Catle

KOBE, Japan - Visitors take photos of the roof of the main keep of Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture, which is undergoing restoration work, on March 26, 2011. The city set up an elevator and a lookout, 50 meters off the ground, to allow visitors to closely examine the roof of the 17th century castle and repair work being conducted using traditional techniques.