Fire festival at cape facing Pacific Ocean

KUSHIMOTO, Japan, Jan. 19 Kyodo - High school archery club members shoot flaming arrows to ignite a 100,000 square-meter turf-covered field during a fire festival on a cape facing the Pacific Ocean in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 18, 2025. (Kyodo)

Japan: Massive Blackout Hits Shikoku Region, Leaving 360,000 Homes Without Power 2

A massive power outage hit the Shikoku region in southwestern Japan on Saturday, November 9, at around 8:20 p.m., leaving more than 360,000 homes without power and halting train services. According to Shikoku Electric Power Transmission and Distribution, there was an issue with some of the transmission lines connecting Honshu and Shikoku, which caused an "Under-Frequency Relay" to activate to maintain the supply-demand balance, leading to the blackout.

Japan: Massive Blackout Hits Shikoku Region, Leaving 360,000 Homes Without Power

A massive power outage hit the Shikoku region in southwestern Japan on Saturday, November 9, at around 8:20 p.m., leaving more than 360,000 homes without power and halting train services. According to Shikoku Electric Power Transmission and Distribution, there was an issue with some of the transmission lines connecting Honshu and Shikoku, which caused an "Under-Frequency Relay" to activate to maintain the supply-demand balance, leading to the blackout.

Shikoku Kisen "Asahi

Shikoku Kisen "Asahi

Shikoku Kisen's "Asahi" connecting Honshu and Shikoku. ＝Kagawa Prefecture, May 5, 2024.

Swans in northern Japan

WAKKANAI, Japan, April 28 Kyodo - A flock of swans rest in a swamp in Wakkanai on the northernmost Japanese main island of Hokkaido on April 28, 2024, after flying from the main island of Honshu where they spent the winter. The swans will fly northward to breeding grounds in Siberia. (Kyodo)

Swans in northern Japan

Swans in northern Japan

A flock of swans rest in a swamp in Wakkanai on the northernmost Japanese main island of Hokkaido on April 28, 2024, after flying from the main island of Honshu where they spent the winter. The swans will fly northward to breeding grounds in Siberia.

Swans in northern Japan

Swans in northern Japan

A flock of swans rest in a swamp in Wakkanai on the northernmost Japanese main island of Hokkaido on April 28, 2024, after flying from the main island of Honshu where they spent the winter. The swans will fly northward to breeding grounds in Siberia.

Swans in northern Japan

Swans in northern Japan

A flock of swans rest in a swamp in Wakkanai on the northernmost Japanese main island of Hokkaido on April 28, 2024, after flying from the main island of Honshu where they spent the winter. The swans will fly northward to breeding grounds in Siberia.

Swans in northern Japan

Swans in northern Japan

A flock of swans rest in a swamp in Wakkanai on the northernmost Japanese main island of Hokkaido on April 28, 2024, after flying from the main island of Honshu where they spent the winter. The swans will fly northward to breeding grounds in Siberia.

Swans in northern Japan

Swans in northern Japan

A flock of swans rest in a swamp in Wakkanai on the northernmost Japanese main island of Hokkaido on April 28, 2024, after flying from the main island of Honshu where they spent the winter. The swans will fly northward to breeding grounds in Siberia.

Bathing season begins on western Japan beach

Bathing season begins on western Japan beach

People play on a beach in the Wakayama Prefecture town of Shirahama, western Japan, on May 3, 2023. The popular swimming beach, known for its white sand, opens the same day, the earliest among the beaches of the Japanese main island of Honshu.

50th anniversary of Kammon Bridge in Japan

50th anniversary of Kammon Bridge in Japan

Photo shows the Kammon Bridge connecting Kitakyushu (front) in Fukuoka Prefecture, on Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu, and Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture, on the western tip of the island of Honshu, on Nov. 14, 2023, the 50th anniversary of its opening.

50th anniversary of Kammon Bridge in Japan

50th anniversary of Kammon Bridge in Japan

Photo shows the Kammon Bridge connecting Kitakyushu (front) in Fukuoka Prefecture, on Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu, and Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture, on the western tip of the island of Honshu, on Nov. 14, 2023, the 50th anniversary of its opening.

Opening of Kammon Bridge to traffic

Opening of Kammon Bridge to traffic

Photo taken on Nov. 14, 1973, shows the Kammon Bridge on its opening day. The 1,068-meter-long bridge connects Kitakyushu (front) in Fukuoka Prefecture, on Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu, and Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture, on the western tip of the island of Honshu.

Opening of Kammon Bridge to traffic

Opening of Kammon Bridge to traffic

Photo taken on Nov. 14, 1973, shows the Kammon Bridge on its opening day. The 1,068-meter-long bridge connects Kitakyushu (front) in Fukuoka Prefecture, on Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu, and Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture, on the western tip of the island of Honshu.

Illumination of Kammon Bridge in Japan

Illumination of Kammon Bridge in Japan

The 1,068-meter Kammon Bridge connecting Shimonoseki (front) in Yamaguchi Prefecture, on the western tip of Japan's main island of Honshu, and Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, on the southwestern main island of Kyushu, is illuminated on Nov. 12, 2023, ahead of its 50th anniversary of opening on Nov. 14.

Illumination of Kammon Bridge in Japan

Illumination of Kammon Bridge in Japan

The 1,068-meter Kammon Bridge connecting Kitakyushu (L) in Fukuoka Prefecture, on the southwestern main island of Kyushu, and Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture, on the western tip of Japan's main island of Honshu, is illuminated on Nov. 12, 2023, ahead of its 50th anniversary of opening on Nov. 14.

Illumination of Kammon Bridge in Japan

Illumination of Kammon Bridge in Japan

The 1,068-meter Kammon Bridge connecting Shimonoseki (front) in Yamaguchi Prefecture, on the western tip of Japan's main island of Honshu, and Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, on the southwestern main island of Kyushu, is illuminated on Nov. 12, 2023, ahead of its 50th anniversary of opening on Nov. 14.

50th anniversary of Kanmon Bridge in Japan

50th anniversary of Kanmon Bridge in Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Nov. 8, 2023, shows the 1,068-meter Kanmon Bridge, connecting Kitakyushu (front) in Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands, and Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture on the western tip of Japan's main island of Honshu, ahead of its 50th anniversary on Nov. 14.

Opening of Kanmon Bridge to traffic

Opening of Kanmon Bridge to traffic

Many spectators gather to see the opening of the Kanmon Bridge to traffic on Nov. 14, 1973. The 1,068-meter bridge connects Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands, and Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture on the western tip of Japan's main island of Honshu.

50th anniversary of Kanmon Bridge in southwestern Japan

50th anniversary of Kanmon Bridge in southwestern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Nov. 8, 2023, shows the 1,068-meter Kanmon Bridge, connecting Kitakyushu (front) in Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands, and Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture on the western tip of Japan's main island of Honshu, ahead of its 50th anniversary on Nov. 14.

Bathing season begins on western Japan beach

Bathing season begins on western Japan beach

People play on a beach in the Wakayama Prefecture town of Shirahama, western Japan, on May 3, 2023. The popular swimming beach, known for its white sand, opens the same day, the earliest among the beaches of the Japanese main island of Honshu.

Heavy snow hits Pacific side of Honshu

Heavy snow hits Pacific side of Honshu

OSAKA, Japan - A couple and their children build a snowman in Osaka Castle Park in Osaka as heavy snowfall hits the Pacific side of Honshu on Feb. 9. Meteorologists are forecasting that 30-50 centimeters of snow could fall through Feb. 10 in heavily affected areas of the southern Tohoku region as the snow front moves from western Japan to the Pacific coast of eastern Japan.

Heavy snow hits Pacific side of Honshu

Heavy snow hits Pacific side of Honshu

NAGOYA, Japan - A couple walk in the snow-blanketed streets of Nagoya as heavy snowfall hits the Pacific side of Honshu on Feb. 9. Meteorologists are forecasting that 30-50 centimeters of snow could fall through Feb. 10 in heavily affected areas of the southern Tohoku region as the snow front moves from western Japan to the Pacific coast of eastern Japan.

Typhoon Fitow approaches Japan

Typhoon Fitow approaches Japan

SHIZUOKA, Japan - High waves crash ashore in Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Sept. 6 as Typhoon Fitow advanced toward Japan's main island of Honshu.

Typhoon Lan approaches Japan

Typhoon Lan approaches Japan

FUKUI, Japan, Oct. 23 Kyodo - Pedestrians in Fukui, central Japan, battle rain and strong winds brought by Typhoon Lan, as it approaches Japan's main island of Honshu on Oct. 22, 2017.

Hokkaido Shinkansen train on test run

Hokkaido Shinkansen train on test run

AOMORI, Japan - A high-speed train of the H5 series for use on the Hokkaido Shinkansen Line comes out of the Seikan Tunnel and enters Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost prefecture of Honshu island, in a trial run on Dec. 7, 2014. The line is due to start operating between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate stations in March 2016.

Coal on fire on 'Stove train'

Coal on fire on 'Stove train'

AOMORI, Japan - A conductor on the "stove train" puts coal in a stove in Goshogawara, Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost prefecture on Honshu, on Dec. 1, 2014. The Tsugaru Railway Co.'s popular train operates from Dec. 1, 2014, to March 31, 2015.

'Stove train' starts running in Aomori Pref.

'Stove train' starts running in Aomori Pref.

AOMORI, Japan - Tsugaru Railway Co.'s "stove train," equipped with coal stoves, stops at a station in Goshogawara, Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost prefecture on the Honshu main island, on Dec. 1, 2014. The popular train operates from Dec. 1, 2014, to March 31, 2015.

8,000 cyclists take part in Cycling Shimanami event

8,000 cyclists take part in Cycling Shimanami event

MATSUYAMA, Japan - Cyclists ride on the Tatara Bridge, part of the Nishiseto Expressway, commonly known as Shimanami Kaido, during the Cycling Shimanami event on Oct. 26, 2014. The event was held using part of Shimanami Kaido, which is a 60 kilometer toll road that connects the city of Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture, on the main Japan island of Honshu, to the city of Imabari in Ehime Prefecture, on the island of Shikoku.

Costume play lovers listen to guide at old residence

Costume play lovers listen to guide at old residence

AOMORI, Japan - Young women listen to a guide in front of an old residence, reportedly built during the Edo period (1603-1867), in Sai village, Aomori Prefecture, on the northern tip of Japan's main island of Honshu on Aug. 15, 2014, during a village-wide event to welcome costume play lovers. The residence is the birthplace of Gotaro Mikami, a medical doctor who saved both Japanese and Russian soldiers during the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese war.

Japan defense minister visits U.S. Navy aircraft carrier

Japan defense minister visits U.S. Navy aircraft carrier

IWAKUNI, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera (R) shakes hands with a U.S. officer aboard the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington in the Pacific south of Japan's main island of Honshu on July 30, 2014.

Japan defense minister inspects U.S. aircraft carrier

Japan defense minister inspects U.S. aircraft carrier

IWAKUNI, Japan - Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onoda (2nd from R) inspects the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington in waters south of Japan's largest main island of Honshu on July 30, 2014, during joint sea training among Japan, the United States and India.

SDF troops arrive at air base to join anti-quake drill

SDF troops arrive at air base to join anti-quake drill

TOKYO, Japan - Troops arrive at the Air Self-Defense Force's Iruma base in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, on June 2, 2014, to participate in an integrated drill designed to address a major earthquake in the Nankai Trough off the Pacific coast of Japan's main island of Honshu.

Rainy season starts in Kyushu, Yamaguchi Pref.

Rainy season starts in Kyushu, Yamaguchi Pref.

NAGASAKI, Japan - People with umbrellas cross Meganebashi, or Spectacles Bridge, in the city of Nagasaki as the rainy season starts in the Kyushu region of southwestern Japan and in Yamaguchi Prefecture on the western tip of the Honshu main island on June 2, 2014.

Rainy season starts in Kyushu, Yamaguchi Pref.

Rainy season starts in Kyushu, Yamaguchi Pref.

KAGOSHIMA, Japan - People walk with umbrellas in the city of Kagoshima as the rainy season starts in the Kyushu region of southwestern Japan and in Yamaguchi Prefecture on the western tip of the Honshu main island on June 2, 2014.

Seto Ohashi Bridge 25th anniversary

Seto Ohashi Bridge 25th anniversary

HIROSHIMA, Japan - An April 9, 2013, photo from a Kyodo News helicopter shows the Seto Ohashi Bridge, linking Japan's Honshu and Shikoku islands, which on April 10, 2013 marked the 25th anniversary of its opening.

Typhoon Jelawat in Japan

Typhoon Jelawat in Japan

NAGOYA, Japan - People walk in Nagoya's Nakamura Ward on Sept. 30, 2012, in the heavy rain caused by Typhoon Jelawat. The powerful typhoon made landfall on the main island of Honshu later that day.

Typhoon Jelawat in Japan

Typhoon Jelawat in Japan

KIHO, Japan - Rough waves batter a breakwater in the town of Kiho, Mie Prefecture, on Sept. 30, 2011, as Typhoon Jelawat travels northeastward along the coast of western Japan. A rainbow, which appeared after the rain stopped, is seen. The powerful typhoon made landfall on the main island of Honshu later that day.

Typhoon Jelawat in Japan

Typhoon Jelawat in Japan

KIHO, Japan - Rough waves batter a breakwater in the town of Kiho, Mie Prefecture, on Sept. 30, 2011, as Typhoon Jelawat travels northeastward along the coast of western Japan. The powerful typhoon made landfall on the main island of Honshu later that day.

Typhoon Jelawat in Japan

Typhoon Jelawat in Japan

KIHO, Japan - Rough waves batter a breakwater in the town of Kiho, Mie Prefecture, on Sept. 30, 2011, as Typhoon Jelawat travels northeastward along the coast of western Japan. The powerful typhoon made landfall on the main island of Honshu later that day.

Typhoon Jelawat in Japan

Typhoon Jelawat in Japan

OSAKA, Japan - People walk in Osaka's Naniwa Ward on Sept. 30, 2012, struggling with the strong wind and rain caused by Typhoon Jelawat. The powerful typhoon made landfall on the main island of Honshu later that day.

Typhoon Jelawat in Japan

Typhoon Jelawat in Japan

OSAKA, Japan - Photo shows bicycles tumbled by strong wind due to Typhoon Jelawat in Osaka's Naniwa Ward on Sept. 30, 2012. The powerful typhoon made landfall on the main island of Honshu later that day.

Ship carrying Osprey heads for U.S. airbase in Iwakuni

Ship carrying Osprey heads for U.S. airbase in Iwakuni

SHIMONOSEKI, Japan - The Green Ridge cargo ship carrying the first shipment to Japan of U.S. military MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft passes the Kammon Straits under the Kammon Bridge on the western tip of Honshu at 8:24 p.m. on July 22, 2012, headed for the U.S. Marines' Iwakuni Air Station.

Swiss walking across Japan

Swiss walking across Japan

KITAKYUSHU, Japan - Thomas Koehler, a former travel agent from Switzerland, smiles after arriving in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, in Kyushu, Japan's southern main island, having traveled through a tunnel from Shimonoseki on the Honshu main island on Dec. 5, 2011. Koehler has been walking across Japan to help revive tourism to the country, which has been dented by the March quake and tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis.

Australian swimmer Palfrey

Australian swimmer Palfrey

HAKODATE, Japan - Australian swimmer Penny Palfrey (L) and her husband Chris pose for photos in Hakodate, Hokkaido, on Sept. 19, 2011, a day before their challenge to swim across the Tsugaru Strait between Japan's largest main island Honshu and northernmost main island Hokkaido. Palfrey, who is trying to achieve solo-swimming across the seven major channels in the world, conquered the Japanese channel, her sixth, on the following day, leaving only one more to go to accomplish the feat called the ''Ocean's Seven.'' Chris Palfrey attempted to cross the Tsugaru Strait via a different route but failed to complete the swim.

Radioactive waste returned to Japan

Radioactive waste returned to Japan

ROKKASHO VILLAGE, Japan - Trucks transport metal containers holding high-level radioactive vitrified waste to a storage facility of Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. in the village of Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, on the northern tip of Honshu, on Sept. 15, 2011. The radioactive waste was returned to Japan after processing in Britain, in the course of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel at Japanese reactors.

Shikoku prefectures personified

Shikoku prefectures personified

KOCHI, Japan - A poster featuring characters meant to personify the four prefectures of Shikoku Island, western Japan, was issued in May 2011. The female characters, drawn in a style similar to popular animated series, are aimed at promoting the use of the Seto Ohashi network of bridges linking Japan's mainland Honshu and Shikoku Island, and have become popular among Internet users after their images were posted on the Net in July.

Tohoku Shinkansen service to fully resume

Tohoku Shinkansen service to fully resume

SENDAI, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on April 27, 2011, shows the Hayabusa advanced model of the shinkansen (front) in the town of Rifu, Miyagi Prefecture. The bullet train service on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line between Sendai and Ichinoseki, which has been suspended in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster, is scheduled to resume on April 29, linking Tokyo and Shin-Aomori for the first time since the suspension. As the Kyushu Shinkansen Line fully opened between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo on March 12, bullet train services will link Aomori at the northern tip of the Honshu main island, and Kagoshima at the southern tip of the southwestern main island of Kyushu, for the first time.

Colorful carpet of tulips in Hokkaido draws tourists

Colorful carpet of tulips in Hokkaido draws tourists

KAMIYUBETSU, Japan - A tourist takes photos of his family against a backdrop of 1.2 million tulips in Tulip Park in the town of Kamiyubetsu on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido on May 17. Sayaka Suzuki, 7, from the main island of Honshu, admired the flowers in full bloom, saying, ''It is not like Japan here.''