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[Breaking News]Purification ritual at western Japan shrine

NACHIKATSUURA, Japan, Sept. 21 Kyodo - Men carrying a portable shrine participate in a water purification ceremony to pray for an abundant catch and maritime safety at Katsuura Hachiman shrine in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Sept. 21, 2025. (Kyodo)

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Purification ritual at western Japan shrine

Men carrying a portable shrine participate in a water purification ceremony to pray for an abundant catch and maritime safety at Katsuura Hachiman shrine in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Sept. 21, 2025.

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"Hina" dolls on stone stairs

Photo taken on Feb. 26, 2025, shows traditional "hina" dolls, totaling about 1,800, on display on stone stairs at Tomisaki shrine in Katsuura in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, ahead of the March 3 Girls' Day celebration.

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"Hina" dolls on stone stairs

Photo taken on Feb. 26, 2025, shows traditional "hina" dolls, totaling about 1,800, on display on stone stairs at Tomisaki shrine in Katsuura in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, ahead of the March 3 Girls' Day celebration.

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"Hina" dolls on stone stairs

Photo taken on Feb. 26, 2025, shows traditional "hina" dolls, totaling about 1,800, on display on stone stairs at Tomisaki shrine in Katsuura in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, ahead of the March 3 Girls' Day celebration.

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Tuna auction at Wakayama wholesale market

NACHIKATSUURA, Japan, Jan. 4 Kyodo - Tuna are lined up for the year's first auction at a regional wholesale market in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 4, 2025. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Purification ritual at western Japan shrine

Men carrying a portable shrine participate in a water purification ceremony to pray for an abundant catch and maritime safety at Katsuura Hachiman shrine in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Sept. 15, 2024.

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Purification ritual at western Japan shrine

Men carrying a portable shrine participate in a water purification ceremony to pray for an abundant catch and maritime safety at Katsuura Hachiman shrine in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Sept. 15, 2024.

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Upper house by-election campaigning in western Japan

Katsuya Okada, secretary general of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, makes a stump speech in Katsuura in Tokushima Prefecture, western Japan, on Oct. 14, 2023, ahead of a House of Councillors by-election on Oct. 22.

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Upper house by-election campaigning in western Japan

Katsuya Okada, secretary general of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, makes a stump speech in Katsuura in Tokushima Prefecture, western Japan, on Oct. 14, 2023, ahead of a House of Councillors by-election on Oct. 22.

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Purification ritual at western Japan shrine

Men carrying a portable shrine participate in a water purification ceremony to pray for an abundant catch and maritime safety at Katsuura Hachiman shrine in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Sept. 17, 2023.

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Coronavirus infections

KATSUURA, Japan, Feb. 12 Kyodo - An evacuee (L) from Wuhan, the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak in China, meets the press before leaving the Katsuura Hotel Mikazuki in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Feb. 12, 2020. All of the first group of evacuees housed at the hotel tested negative for the pneumonia-causing virus.

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Chiba group places 2nd in 'B-1 Grand Prix' food contest

KORIYAMA, Japan - A member of a group from Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, speaks after winning second prize for a spicy noodle dish called "tantanmen" at the ninth "B-1 Grand Prix" national food contest for popular local dishes in Koriyama in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Fukushima on Oct. 19, 2014.

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'Hina' doll festival in Tokushima, Japan

TOKUSHIMA, Japan - Children from a nursery carry a miniature "mikoshi" portable shrine in front of a tiered platform of some 30,000 dolls on display ahead of a "hina" doll festival in Katsuura, Tokushima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Feb. 23, 2014. The event, a precursor to the March 3 Girls' Day festival, will run through April 6.

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'Hina' doll festival in Tokushima, Japan

TOKUSHIMA, Japan - Some 30,000 dolls are on display during a "hina" doll festival in Katsuura, Tokushima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Feb. 23, 2014, ahead of the Girls' Day festival on March 3. In Japan, hina dolls are traditionally displayed by families with girls to celebrate the "hina-matsuri" festival each spring.

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Dolls for girls' happiness

NARITA, Japan - About 1,200 "hina" dolls from across Japan are displayed on the stairs of the Tomisaki Shrine in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, on Feb. 22, 2013. Hina dolls are decorated at girls' homes in Japan on March 3 in an event to pray for their happiness.

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30,000 old 'hina' dolls

TOKUSHIMA, Japan - Around 30,000 old ''hina'' dolls, collected from homes nationwide, are displayed on an 8-meter-high pyramid stand in the town of Katsuura, Tokushima Prefecture, on Feb. 19, 2012, for a festival that started the same day and runs until March 20. The dolls are usually displayed on a much smaller stand in Japanese homes to bring happiness to young girls around early March.

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Fisherman changes routes

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Photo shows rows of tuna at the Katsuura port in Wakayama Prefecture on March 18, 2011. Many fishing boats have shifted their destinations from ports on the northeastern coasts to those on the western coast, following the March 11 massive tsunami that devastated the coastal areas in northeastern Japan.

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Emperor, empress at museum

KATSUURA, Japan - Emperor Akihito (C) and Empress Michiko (R) visit a marine museum in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, on Sept. 26, 2010. (Pool photo)

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30,000 dolls displayed in Tokushima ahead of Doll's Festival

KATSUURA, Japan - About 30,000 'hina dolls' are displayed in Katsuura, Tokushima Prefecture, on Feb. 19, 2010 ahead of the Doll's Festival in Japan on March 3.

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Vacation home of actress Sakai burned down, police suspect arson

KATSUURA, Japan - Police examine a vacation home of scandal-tainted actress Noriko Sakai and her husband Yuichi Takaso in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, on Sept. 20, 2009, after it was gutted by a fire.

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30,000 used 'hina' dolls start new life in Tokushima museum

TOKUSHIMA, Japan - Staff members of the Ningyo Bunka Koryukan doll museum display some of the 30,000 used ''hina'' dolls on a 7-meter-high pyramid Feb. 19 for a month-long festival starting Feb. 22 at the museum in the town of Katsuura, Tokushima Prefecture. They are among some 70,000 used dolls collected from homes nationwide. The ''hina'' dolls are usually displayed on a much smaller stand in Japanese homes to bring happiness to young girls around early March.

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Funeral held for 2 fishermen lost in collision with destroyer

KATSUURA, Japan - Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to reporters May 29 in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture after attending a funeral for two fishermen who were lost after their small fishing boat collided with an Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer in February.

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Fukuda apologizes to family of 2 missing fishermen

KATSUURA, Japan - Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (L front) calls on family members of two missing fishermen in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, on March 2 over the Feb. 19 collision between an Aegis-equipped destroyer and their fishing boat to apologize for the incident. The relatives say Fukuda was moved to tears seeing the photos of Haruo Kichisei, 58, and his son Tetsuhiro, 23, whose bodies have not been found.

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Fukuda apologizes to family of 2 missing fishermen

KATSUURA, Japan - Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (L front) calls on family members of two missing fishermen in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, on March 2 over the Feb. 19 collision between an Aegis-equipped destroyer and their fishing boat to apologize for the incident. The relatives say Fukuda was moved to tears seeing the photos of Haruo Kichisei, 58, and his son Tetsuhiro, 23, whose bodies have not been found.

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Defense chief Ishiba apologizes in missing fishermen's hometown

KATSUURA, Japan - Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba (standing) meets with fishery workers at an office of a local fisheries cooperative in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, on Feb. 21 to brief them on the collision between the Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Atago and the fishing boat Seitoku Maru. Two fishermen -- a father and son -- aboard the boat belonging to the cooperative went missing after the collision on Feb. 19. (Pool photo)

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Defense chief Ishiba apologizes in missing fishermen's hometown

KATSUURA, Japan - Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba (2nd from R) bows in apology to Eitaro Geki (L), head of a local fisheries cooperative in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, at the cooperative's offices there on Feb. 21. Two fishermen -- a father and son -- aboard the 7.3-ton tuna fishing boat Seitoku Maru belonging to the cooperative went missing Feb. 19 after the boat collided with the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Aegis-equipped destroyer Atago. (Pool photo)

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Search continues for missing fishermen

KATSUURA, Japan - Friends and relatives of Haruo Kichisei, 58, and his son Tetsuhito, 23, who went missing Feb. 19 after their fishing boat was hit by a Japanese destroyer, gather at the Kawatsu fishing port in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, Feb. 20 to pray for their safe return. The Japan Coast Guard continued searching for the pair in the Pacific off the Chiba coast Feb. 20.

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Aegis destroyer collides with small boat

KATSUURA, Japan - A fisherman (L) hands a jacket worn by missing fisherman Haruo Kichisei to one of Kichisei's relatives (R) after it was found at a marine accident site. Kichisei and his son remain missing after a Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer equipped with the advanced Aegis radar system collided with a small fishing boat they were working on in the Pacific off the coast of Chiba Prefecture on Feb. 19. The boat capsized.

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MSDF Aegis destroyer collides with fishing boat, 2 fishermen missing

KATSUURA, Japan - Women pray for fishermen Haruo Kichisei and his son Tetsuhiro, who went missing after a Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer with the advanced Aegis radar system collided with the small fishing boat they were working on Feb. 19 in the Pacific off the coast of Chiba Prefecture. The boat capsized.

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Slump in first tuna auction of the year in Wakayama

SHINGU, Japan - Fish dealers examine tuna in the first auction of the year on Jan. 4 at the Katsuura Fishery Cooperative in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, one of the largest coastal tuna fishing towns in Japan. The auction of 36 tons of tuna fetched 17 million yen. The highest bid went to a 51-kilogram yellowfin tuna for 150,000 yen. The volume of tuna auctioned during the day and the amount in transactions were just half of last year's levels. Co-op officials attributed the slump to higher fuel prices and the reluctance of younger fishermen to go to sea during the New Year holidays.

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Dolls displayed ahead of March 3 Doll's Festival

KATSUURA, Japan - About 15,000 dolls are displayed in Katsuura, Tokushima Prefecture, on Feb. 18 ahead of the March 3 Doll's Festival. The dolls will be shown until March 21.

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Cherry at Kumano-Nachi Taisha Shrine in full bloom

SHINGU, Japan - The famed cherry tree known in scientific name as ''prunus pendula'' at Kumano-Nachi Taisha shrine in Katsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, is in full bloom on March 27.

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20,000 dolls displayed ahead of March 3 festival

KATSUURA, Japan - About 20,000 dolls are displayed in Katsuura in Tokushima Prefecture, on Feb. 19 ahead of the March 3 Doll's Festival.

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20,000 dolls displayed at Big Doll Festival in Katsuura

TOKUSHIMA, Japan - Some 20,000 ''hina'' dolls are displayed on a 5.5-meter-high pyramid-style tiered platform at Big Doll Festival in Katsuura, Tokushima Prefecture, on Feb. 20. The festival will run until April 3.

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(1)Elderly elephant moves to Japan's first forest sanitarium

KATSUURA, Japan - An elderly elephant, Akiko (L), moves to the Katsuura Elephants' Paradise, a forest sanitarium in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, on May 11. Akiko, who had stayed at a zoo in the prefecture after the closure last year of Hanshin Park in Hyogo Prefecture, is the first guest at Japan's first elephant sanitarium.

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Japan's first elephant sanitarium opened

TOKYO, Japan - File photo shows Sayuri Sakamoto, a zoo administrator who has opened Japan's first sanitarium for elephants, the Katsuura Elephants' Paradise in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture. On May 11, an elderly elephant, Akiko, moved to the forest sanitarium as the first guest at the facility.

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15,000 dolls on display in 'Big Doll Festival'.

KATSUURA, Japan - A girl sucks her thumb besides some 15,000 dolls put on display for the annual ''Big Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival)'' that began in the town of Katsuura, Tokushima Prefecture, on Feb. 22. The doll festival is celebrated across Japan on March 3. The practice of displaying dolls dates to early in the Edo era (1600-1868). Parents present their daughter with a set of hina dolls and the daughter takes them when she marries.

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Nachi falls lit up

NACHI-KATSUURA, Japan - The Nachi Falls and the three-storied pagoda of the Seigantoji Temple in Nachi-Katsuura, Wakatama Prefecture, are lit up on trial Dec. 19 in preparation for the year-end and New Year holiday season.

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Big 'Hina Matsuri' (Doll Festival) begins in Katsuura

KATSUURA, Japan - Girls clad in kimono stand for a photo in front of some 600 hina ningyo (a set of dolls representing emperor, empress, attendants and musicians in ancient court dress) at Tomisaki Shrine in the city of Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, on Feb. 22. The dolls were placed on a red carpet on stairs leading to the shrine's gate. The city's 'Big Hina Matsuri' (Doll Festival) will run until March 2.

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Fire fighting drills conducted at Kumano-Nachi Shrine

NACHI-KATSUURA, Japan - Fire fighting drills are conducted Jan. 20 at Wakayama Prefecture's Kumano-Nachi Shrine ahead of a fire prevention day for cultural assets Jan. 26.

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Nachi Falls freeze

NACHI-KATSUURA, Japan - The 133-meter-tall Nachi Falls in Wakayama Prefecture and its pool froze Jan. 6 due to a cold snap.

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Nachi Falls lit up

NACHI-KATSUURA, Japan - The Nachi Falls and the three-storied pagoda of Seigantoji Temple located nearby are illuminated on a trial basis Dec. 17 in preparation for the yearend and New Year's Day holidays. The sacred falls of the Kumano Nachi Shrine attracts many ascetics on the New Year's Day.

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10,000 tourists enjoy fire festival at Kumano-Nachi Shrine

SHINGU, Japan - Local youths walked up and down steep stairs in front of Kumano-Nachi Shrine in the town of Nachi-Katsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, on July 14, carrying giant burning torches. Some 10,000 tourists gathered to view the Nachi-no-Himatsuri (Nachi Fire Festival), during which 60 local youths took turns carrying 12 burning torches. Each torch was 1.4 meter long and weighed 50 kilograms.

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Year's first tuna auction held in Wakayama Pref.

NACHIKATSUURA, Japan - This year's first tuna auction in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, is held at Katsuura port Jan. 4. The haul for the New Year's auction was smaller than last year, with a 79-kilogram tuna fetching the highest price at 712,000 yen.

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Hydrangeas in full bloom

SHINGU, Japan - As much of the Japanese archipelago stays soaked in the rainy season, hydrangeas are in full bloom at the famed Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine in Nachi-Katsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, on June 14.

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Shinto priests prepare for New Year's Day

Shinto priests replace straw-and-paper decorations with new ones at the top of the 133-meter-high Nachi Falls at Katsuura in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan on Dec. 27 to prepare for New Year's Day. The falls of the Kumano Nachi Shrine are in the Yoshino-Kumano National Park.

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20,000 dolls displayed at Big Doll Festival in Katsuura

TOKUSHIMA, Japan - Some 20,000 ''hina'' dolls are displayed on a 5.5-meter-high pyramid-style tiered platform at Big Doll Festival in Katsuura, Tokushima Prefecture, on Feb. 20. The festival will run until April 3. (Kyodo)

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Slump in first tuna auction of the year in Wakayama

SHINGU, Japan - Fish dealers examine tuna in the first auction of the year on Jan. 4 at the Katsuura Fishery Cooperative in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, one of the largest coastal tuna fishing towns in Japan. The auction of 36 tons of tuna fetched 17 million yen. The highest bid went to a 51-kilogram yellowfin tuna for 150,000 yen. The volume of tuna auctioned during the day and the amount in transactions were just half of last year's levels. Co-op officials attributed the slump to higher fuel prices and the reluctance of younger fishermen to go to sea during the New Year holidays. (Kyodo)

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Fukuda apologizes to family of 2 missing fishermen

KATSUURA, Japan - Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (L front) calls on family members of two missing fishermen in Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture, on March 2 over the Feb. 19 collision between an Aegis-equipped destroyer and their fishing boat to apologize for the incident. The relatives say Fukuda was moved to tears seeing the photos of Haruo Kichisei, 58, and his son Tetsuhiro, 23, whose bodies have not been found. (Kyodo)