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World Cup 2026 – US: Dutch Fans March Through Kansas City Ahead of Match Against Tunisia

Netherlands fans marched through the streets of Kansas City ahead of their team's final World Cup group-stage match against Tunisia on Thursday, June 25.

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[Breaking News]20th birthday of popular mascot Hikonyan

HIKONE, Japan, April 13 Kyodo - Hikonyan, the popular samurai helmet-wearing cat mascot of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, appears at a special event marking its 20th birthday in the western Japan city of Hikone on April 13, 2026. (Kyodo)

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20th birthday of popular mascot Hikonyan

Hikonyan, the popular samurai helmet-wearing cat mascot of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, appears at a special event marking its 20th birthday in the western Japan city of Hikone on April 13, 2026.

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New Year greeting cards for mascot Hikonyan

HIKONE, Japan, Jan. 8 Kyodo - Hikonyan, the popular cat mascot of the city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, poses for a photo with New Year greeting cards addressed to it at the city hall on Jan. 7, 2026. The western Japan city said Hikonyan received 13,220 cards from across the country and abroad. (Kyodo)

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New Year greeting cards for mascot Hikonyan

Hikonyan, the popular cat mascot of the city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, poses for a photo with New Year greeting cards and a "hagoita" traditional battledore sent to it at the city hall on Jan. 7, 2026. The western Japan city said Hikonyan received 13,220 cards from across the country and abroad.

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New Year greeting cards for mascot Hikonyan

Hikonyan, the popular cat mascot of the city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, poses for a photo with New Year greeting cards addressed to it at the city hall on Jan. 7, 2026. The western Japan city said Hikonyan received 13,220 cards from across the country and abroad.

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Popular mascot Hikonyan

HIKONE, Japan, Jan. 9 Kyodo - Hikonyan, the popular mascot of the city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, poses with New Year greeting cards addressed to the cat mascot at the city government headquarters on Jan. 9, 2025. (Kyodo)

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Popular mascot Hikonyan

Hikonyan, the popular mascot of the city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, poses with New Year greeting cards addressed to the cat mascot at the city government headquarters on Jan. 9, 2025.

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Popular mascot Hikonyan

Hikonyan, the popular mascot of the city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, poses with New Year greeting cards addressed to the cat mascot at the city government headquarters on Jan. 9, 2025.

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US: EF-1 Tornado Touches Down In Athens, AL, Leaving Devastating Damage

The National Weather Service in Huntsville has confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down in downtown Athens, Alabama, on Saturday night, December 28.

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17th birthday of popular mascot Hikonyan

The 17th birthday of Hikonyan, the popular cat mascot of the Japanese city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, is celebrated on April 13, 2023.

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Hikone city mascot Hikonyan turns nine

OTSU, Japan, April 13 Kyodo - Hikonyan (C), a mascot character of the western Japanese city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, receives a birthday cake during a celebration ceremony for its ninth birthday at Hikone Castle on April 13, 2015.

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Mascot surrounded by chocolate gifts on St. Valentine's Day

OTSU, Japan - Hikonyan, a mascot character created by the municipal government of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, is swarmed with chocolate gifts at the city hall on St. Valentine's Day on Feb. 14, 2014.

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'Hikonyan' mascot gets 305 Valentine chocolate packs

OTSU, Japan - "Hikonyan," the official mascot of the city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, poses with 305 packs of chocolate on Feb. 14, 2014, received as St. Valentine's Day gifts from fans across Japan as well as from Germany.

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Japan Expo in Paris

PARIS, France - Kumamon (L) and Hikonyan, the official mascots representing Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture and Hikone City, respectively, take part in Japan Expo in Paris on July 4, 2013. The event introducing Japanese pop culture is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

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Japan Expo in Paris

PARIS, France - Hikonyan (R), the official cat mascot of Japan's Hikone City, shakes hands with a child at Japan Expo in Paris on July 4, 2013. The event introducing Japanese pop culture is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

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Record No. of instruments used in musical performance

OTSU, Japan - Participants in a musical performance smile in front of the camera just after setting a Guinness world record by using 181 instruments in a piece of music, on June 26, 2011, in the city of Hikone, Shiga prefecture in western Japan.

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Hikonyan becomes police chief for a day

OTSU, Japan - Hikonyan (L), a mascot character promoting the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, salutes alongside police officers on Dec. 1, 2010, after being appointed police chief of Hikone police station for the day.

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Snowstorm hits western, northern Japan

OSAKA, Japan - Snow blankets major rail and road arteries in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture on Dec. 29. The Japan Meteorological Agency says the snowstorm, which hit extensive areas in northern and western Japan, is expected to last through the morning of Dec. 30.

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Heavy snow forces JR's Shinkansen to slow down

A JR Tokai Shinkansen train goes slowly near the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, due to heavy snow on the morning of Jan. 8. Snow fell heavily in the mountainous regions along the Sea of Japan coast and its vicinity, prompting the Meteorological Agency to issue a warning for even heavier snow toward the weekend.

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16th birthday of popular mascot Hikonyan

Hikonyan, the popular cat mascot of the Japanese city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, receives a bouquet of flowers from Naotake Ii, head of a Hikonyan fan club, on its 16th birthday on April 13, 2022.

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16th birthday of popular mascot Hikonyan

The 16th birthday of Hikonyan, the popular cat mascot of the Japanese city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, is celebrated on April 13, 2022.

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16th birthday of popular mascot Hikonyan

The 16th birthday of Hikonyan, the popular cat mascot of the Japanese city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, is celebrated on April 13, 2022.

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16th birthday of popular mascot Hikonyan

The 16th birthday of Hikonyan, the popular cat mascot of the Japanese city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, is celebrated on April 13, 2022.

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Valentine's Day gifts for Hikonyan

Hikonyan, the mascot for Hikone city in Shiga Prefecture, poses in the western Japan city on Feb. 14, 2022, with chocolate and other Valentine's Day gifts sent from across Japan.

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Valentine's Day gifts for Hikonyan

Hikonyan, the mascot for Hikone city in Shiga Prefecture, poses in the western Japan city on Feb. 14, 2022, with chocolate and other Valentine's Day gifts sent from across Japan.

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New Year greeting cards for Hikonyan

Hikonyan, the mascot for the Shiga Prefecture city of Hikone, western Japan, poses in the city on Jan. 6, 2022, with stacks of New Year greeting cards sent from across Japan and abroad.

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New Year greeting cards for Hikonyan

Hikonyan, the mascot for the Shiga Prefecture city of Hikone, western Japan, poses in the city on Jan. 6, 2022, with stacks of New Year greeting cards sent from across Japan and abroad.

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Heavy snow in Japan

HIKONE, Japan Kyodo - Photo taken on Dec. 27, 2021, from a Kyodo News helicopter shows vehicles stranded on roads in the Shiga Prefecture city of Hikone, western Japan, due to record-breaking snow that has hit the region.

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Heavy snow in Japan

Photo taken on Dec. 27, 2021, from a Kyodo News helicopter shows vehicles stranded on roads in the Shiga Prefecture city of Hikone, western Japan, due to record-breaking snow that has hit the region.

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Heavy snow in Japan

Vehicles are stranded on a road in the Shiga Prefecture city of Hikone, western Japan, on Dec. 27, 2021, due to record-breaking snow that has hit the region.

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Heavy snow in Japan

Photo taken on Dec. 27, 2021, from a Kyodo News helicopter shows vehicles stranded on a national road in the Shiga Prefecture city of Hikone, western Japan, due to record-breaking snow that hit the region from Dec. 26 to the early hours of Dec. 27.

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Heavy snow in Japan

Photo taken on Dec. 27, 2021, from a Kyodo News helicopter shows vehicles stranded on a national road in the Shiga Prefecture city of Hikone, western Japan, due to record-breaking snow that hit the region from Dec. 26 to the early hours of Dec. 27.

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Seismic diagnosis to be conducted on Hikone Castle

File photo taken in March 2016 in the western Japan city of Hikone shows Hikone Castle, a national treasure. The municipal government has decided to carry out a seismic analysis of the castle from the next fiscal year, as Kumamoto Castle was severely damaged by a series of powerful earthquakes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Hikone city mascot Hikonyan turns 10

Hikonyan (L), the city mascot of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, receives a present from Sanomaru, the mascot of the northeastern city of Sano in Tochigi Prefecture, during an event to celebrate Hikonyan's 10th birthday at Hikone Castle on April 13, 2016. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Hikone city mascot Hikonyan turns 10

Hikonyan, the city mascot of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, receives a birthday cake during a ceremony to celebrate its 10th birthday at Hikone Castle on April 13, 2016. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japanese city's mascot receives over 10,000 New Year cards

"Hikonyan," the official mascot of the city of Hikone in Japan's Shiga Prefecture, is photographed at city hall on Jan. 6, 2016. The city said Hikonyan has received 11,424 New Year greeting cards from not only around the country but also China, France and Taiwan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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West Japan city begins events to mark 200th anniv. of feudal lord's birth

Hikonyan (C), a mascot character of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, takes part in a ceremony in the western Japanese city on July 10, 2015, to kick off events marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of Ii Naosuke, a feudal lord of Hikone whom locals praise as having played a significant role in opening Japan to international trade and diplomacy toward the end of the Edo shogunate era in the late 19th century. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Valentine's Day gifts for Hikonyan

Hikonyan, the popular mascot of Hikone, Japan, poses with Valentine's Day gifts from fans across the country on Feb. 15, 2021, in the Shiga Prefecture city.

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Valentine's Day gifts for Hikonyan

Hikonyan, the popular mascot of Hikone, Japan, poses with Valentine's Day gifts from fans across the country on Feb. 15, 2021, in the Shiga Prefecture city.

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Tourist promotion event at Japan Embassy in London

Participants open sake barrels with a local mascot of the central Japan city of Hikone during an event at the Japanese Embassy in London on Nov. 7, 2017, which was held to draw more tourists to Japan from Britain. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Mascot characters from Japan, abroad gather for festival in Saitama Pref.

Hikonyan (C), a mascot character of the western Japanese city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, is among some 400 "yuru-chara" (loose character) mascots from Japan and abroad gathered in Hanyu, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, for the sixth World Character Summit on Nov. 21, 2015. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Over 200 local mascots from across Japan gather in Shiga Pref.

A visitor to a gathering of local mascot characters poses for photos in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on Oct. 17, 2015, together with two Melon Kuma figures representing Hokkaido's Yubari city. Hokkaido is famous for wild bears and Yubari is known as a major producer of cantaloupes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Snowstorm hits western, northern Japan

OSAKA, Japan - Snow blankets major rail and road arteries in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture on Dec. 29. The Japan Meteorological Agency says the snowstorm, which hit extensive areas in northern and western Japan, is expected to last through the morning of Dec. 30. (Kyodo)

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Record No. of instruments used in musical performance

OTSU, Japan - Participants in a musical performance smile in front of the camera just after setting a Guinness world record by using 181 instruments in a piece of music, on June 26, 2011, in the city of Hikone, Shiga prefecture in western Japan. (Kyodo)

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Hikonyan becomes police chief for a day

OTSU, Japan - Hikonyan (L), a mascot character promoting the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, salutes alongside police officers on Dec. 1, 2010, after being appointed police chief of Hikone police station for the day. (Kyodo)

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Japan's new era under Emperor Naruhito

Hikonyan, the mascot for Hikone city in Shiga Prefecture, holds a framed print of the two kanji characters depicting the name of Japan's new era Reiwa, in the western Japan city on May 1, 2019, the first day of the era. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Hikonyan mascot in western Japan

Hikonyan, a popular feline mascot of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, poses with a number of Valentine's Day gifts in the western Japan city on Feb. 14, 2020. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Hikone city mascot

Hikonyan, the mascot for the city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, poses with a cake for its 13th birthday in the western Japan city on April 13, 2019. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japanese city mascot's 13th birthday

Hikonyan, the popular mascot of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, has its 13th birthday in the city on April 13, 2019. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo