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7th anniversary of Kumamoto quakes

A memorial ceremony commemorating the seventh anniversary of two devastating earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is held at the prefectural government office in the city of Kumamoto on April 14, 2023. A total of 276 people were killed in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures in the quakes on April 14 and 16, 2016.

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7th anniversary of Kumamoto quakes

A memorial ceremony commemorating the seventh anniversary of two devastating earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is held at the prefectural government office in the city of Kumamoto on April 14, 2023. A total of 276 people were killed in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures in the quakes on April 14 and 16, 2016.

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Admission ticket bearing 'Kumamon' character on sale

KUMAMOTO, Japan - A railway station admission ticket featuring the "Kumamon" mascot character of the Kumamoto prefectural government is on sale at Kumamoto Station of Kyushu Railway Co. in the prefectural capital, southwestern Japan. The ticket, put on sale on Oct. 20, 2014, commemorates the centennial of the launch of the Hohi Line's service between the Kumamoto and Higo-ozu stations.

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Kumamon joins kindergartners in crime-prevention blitz

OSAKA, Japan - Popular mascot Kumamon (back R) created by the Kumamoto prefectural government takes part in a quiz show with kindergartners in a crime-prevention campaign held on April 21, 2014, by the Sonezaki Police Station in Osaka, western Japan.

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Kumamoto governor on recognition of Minamata patient

KUMAMOTO, Japan - Kumamoto Gov. Ikuo Kabashima holds a press conference at the prefectural government hall in Kumamoto on May 2, 2013. Kabashima said the Kumamoto prefectural government will certify a deceased woman as a victim of the Minamata mercury-poisoning disease by dropping its appeal over a lawsuit that she had filed.

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Kumamon's birthday

KUMAMOTO, Japan - "Kumamon," the official black bear mascot of the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto, celebrates its birthday with fans on March 12, 2013, at the prefectural government office.

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Kumamon's birthday

KUMAMOTO, Japan - "Kumamon," the official black bear mascot of the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto, celebrates its birthday with fans on March 12, 2013, at the prefectural government office.

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'Kumamon,' popular mascot for Kumamoto

KUMAMOTO, Japan - Photo taken Feb. 20, 2013, shows various merchandise featuring ''Kumamon,'' the official black bear mascot for the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto, on display at the prefectural government offices. Sales of products featuring Kumamon swelled to at least 29.36 billion yen in 2012, about 11 times more than those of the previous year, local officials said the same day.

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Thailand gives rain-hit Kumamoto Pref. 5 mil. yen

KUMAMOTO, Japan - Kumamoto Gov. Ikuo Kabashima (R) receives from Thai Ambassador to Japan Virasakdi Futrakul (L) at the prefectural government hall in Kumamoto on July 30, 2012, a check for 5 million yen in sympathy for damage caused by the torrential rains in mid-July the same year.

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Minamata disease lawsuit

FUKUOKA, Japan - Akio Mizoguchi smiles as he holds a portrait of his late mother Chie in front of the Fukuoka High Court in Fukuoka on Feb. 27, 2012, after the court required the Kumamoto prefectural government to certify her as a sufferer of Minamata mercury poisoning disease.

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Kumamoto's bear mascot wins popularity contest

KUMAMOTO, Japan - ''Kuma-mon'' -- a black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan -- receives a hug from Gov. Ikuo Kabashima at the entrance of the prefectural government office on Nov. 28, 2011. The governor congratulated the mascot for his winning of a popularity contest between about 350 local mascots the previous day.

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Kumamoto's bear mascot wins popularity contest

KUMAMOTO, Japan - ''Kuma-mon'' -- a black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan -- is congratulated by local people at the entrance of the prefectural government office on Nov. 28, 2011. The mascot won a popularity contest between about 350 local mascots the previous day.

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Governor calls for canceling Kawabe River dam project

KUMAMOTO, Japan - Kumamoto Gov. Ikuo Kabashima speaks during a news conference at Kumamoto prefectural office on Sept. 11. During a Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly meeting earlier in the day, he called on the central government to cancel a dam construction project on the Kawabe River over environmental concerns.

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Court orders compensation for Minamata victims

OSAKA, Japan - A group of plaintiffs in a compensation suit against the central government, the Kumamoto prefectural government and a chemical company over Minamata mercury-poisoning disease walk to court on April 27. The Osaka High Court that day ordered the two governments and Chisso Corp. to pay poisoning victims and their bereaved relatives 320 million yen in damages. The suit was initially filed 19 years ago.

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6th anniversary of Kumamoto quakes

A memorial ceremony commemorating the sixth anniversary of two devastating earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is held at the prefectural government office in the city of Kumamoto on April 14, 2022. A total of 276 people were killed in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures in the quakes on April 14 and 16, 2016.

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6th anniversary of Kumamoto quakes

A memorial ceremony commemorating the sixth anniversary of two devastating earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is held at the prefectural government office in the city of Kumamoto on April 14, 2022. A total of 276 people were killed in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures in the quakes on April 14 and 16, 2016.

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Governor calls for canceling Kawabe River dam project

KUMAMOTO, Japan - Kumamoto Gov. Ikuo Kabashima speaks during a news conference at Kumamoto prefectural office on Sept. 11. During a Kumamoto Prefectural Assembly meeting earlier in the day, he called on the central government to cancel a dam construction project on the Kawabe River over environmental concerns. (Kyodo)

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Kumamoto unveils symbol of reconstruction in motif of Kumamon face

Kumamoto Gov. Ikuo Kabashima and the prefecture's black bear mascot Kumamon hold a flag bearing a symbol representing the prefecture's reconstruction efforts, designed in the motif of Kumamon's face, during a press conference at the prefectural government offices on June 15, 2016. The southwestern Japan prefecture was hit by powerful earthquakes in mid-April. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Kumamoto to dispose of quake-generated waste in 2 yrs

Photo taken May 18, 2016, in the southwestern Japan town of Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, shows a temporary storage space for waste generated by powerful earthquakes. The prefectural government has decided to dispose of the waste within two years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Kumamoto to dispose of quake-generated waste in 2 yrs

Photo taken May 18, 2016, in the southwestern Japan town of Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, shows a temporary storage space for waste generated by powerful earthquakes. The prefectural government has decided to dispose of the waste within two years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Kumamoto to dispose of quake-generated waste in 2 yrs

Photo taken May 18, 2016, in the southwestern Japan town of Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, shows a temporary storage space for waste generated by powerful earthquakes. The prefectural government has decided to dispose of the waste within two years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Kumamoto mascot makes surprise appearance in Tokyo

Kumamoto Prefecture mascot "Kumamon" greets customers outside of Tokyo's Ginza Kumamotokan, an "antenna shop" run by the prefectural government, on May 17, 2016, during a surprise appearance to thank customers for their support following powerful earthquakes in the region since mid-April. Many visitors have purchased local specialties at the shop in hope of supporting the disaster-hit southwestern Japan area, with daily sales increasing about four times compared to those before the quakes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Kumamoto mascot makes surprise appearance in Tokyo

Kumamoto Prefecture mascot "Kumamon" hugs a customer outside of Tokyo's Ginza Kumamotokan, an "antenna shop" run by the prefectural government, on May 17, 2016, during a surprise appearance to thank customers for their support following powerful earthquakes in the region since mid-April. Many visitors have purchased local specialties at the shop in hope of supporting the disaster-hit southwestern Japan area, with daily sales increasing about four times compared to those before the quakes. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Quake-hit prefecture to put Kumamon back into action Thurs.

Saya Matsumoto (R), 10, and her brother Kazuya, 6, write messages for Kumamon, a black bear mascot (front) of Kumamoto Prefecture, at Kumamon Square in the southwestern Japanese city of Kumamoto on May 4, 2016. The prefectural government of Kumamoto has decided to allow the mascot that has remained unseen in public settings since massive earthquakes jolted the area, to make a comeback on May 5 at the request of fans and the local sightseeing industry. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Quake-hit prefecture to put Kumamon back into action Thurs.

Children write messages for Kumamon, a black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture, in a notebook at Kumamon Square in the southwestern Japanese city of Kumamoto on May 4, 2016. The prefectural government of Kumamoto has decided to allow the mascot that has remained unseen in public settings since massive earthquakes jolted the area, to make a comeback on May 5 at the request of fans and the local sightseeing industry. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Food in short supply in quake-hit southwestern Japan

Boxes of relief supplies to be distributed to earthquake-hit areas in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto are piled up in the lobby of the prefectural government building on April 18, 2016. Food shortages have worsened at shelters in Kumamoto as tens of thousands remain evacuated. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Food in short supply in quake-hit southwestern Japan

Boxes of relief supplies to be distributed to earthquake-hit areas in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto are piled up in the lobby of the prefectural government building on April 18, 2016. Food shortages have worsened at shelters in Kumamoto as tens of thousands remain evacuated. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Kumamon product sales in 2015 top 100 bil. yen for 1st time

File photo taken in November 2014 shows Kumamon, the hugely popular mascot of Japan's southwestern Kumamoto Prefecture. Sales of products featuring the black bear mascot in 2015 surpassed 100 billion yen ($874 million) for the first time, the prefectural government said March 2, 2016. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Kumamoto Pref. sends off tomato greenhouse truck

The Kumamoto prefectural government holds a ceremony in front of its office building in southwestern Japan on Oct. 7, 2015, to send off the "Tomatora" truck carrying a greenhouse to grow the prefecture's tomatoes. The truck is headed to Tokyo and will promote the tomatoes along the way. In the left is the prefecture's mascot "Kumamon" who gave up on getting into the truck as its huge body would not fit the seat. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Kumamon reinstated as Kumamoto sales manager

Ikuo Kabashima (L), governor of Japan's southwestern Kumamoto Prefecture, hands an appointment letter to Kumamoto's black bear mascot Kumamon, reinstating him as sales manager for the prefecture, at the prefectural government office on June 29, 2015. Kumamon was demoted to acting sales manager in March as "a punishment for failing to lose weight." The governor commented that Kumamon did not sulk about the demotion and worked even harder. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Kumamon mascot

Kumamon (R), official mascot of the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto, is pictured during a press conference at the prefectural government headquarters in Kumamoto on Feb. 9, 2021. The prefecture announced the same day that sales of products using the image of Kumamon reached 169.8 billion yen ($1.6 billion) in 2020, a record high for the ninth year in a row.

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Kumamon mascot

Kumamon, official mascot of the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto, is pictured during a press conference at the prefectural government headquarters in Kumamoto on Feb. 9, 2021. The prefecture announced the same day that sales of products using the image of Kumamon reached 169.8 billion yen ($1.6 billion) in 2020, a record high for the ninth year in a row.

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Kumamoto marks 5th anniversary of quakes

Bereaved family members pray during a memorial ceremony at the Kumamoto prefectural government office in Kumamoto on April 14, 2021, the fifth anniversary of the first of a pair of deadly quakes that hit the southwestern Japan region.

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Kumamoto marks 5th anniversary of quakes

People pray at a memorial ceremony at the Kumamoto prefectural government office in Kumamoto on April 14, 2021, marking the fifth anniversary of the first of a pair of deadly earthquakes that hit the southwestern Japan region. Seats for participants are arranged to maintain social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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Kumamoto marks 5th anniversary of quakes

People pray at a memorial ceremony at the Kumamoto prefectural government office in Kumamoto on April 14, 2021, marking the fifth anniversary of the first of a pair of deadly earthquakes that hit the southwestern Japan region. Seats for participants are arranged to maintain social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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Kumamoto marks 5th anniversary of quakes

People attend a memorial ceremony at the Kumamoto prefectural government office in Kumamoto on April 14, 2021, marking the fifth anniversary of the first of a pair of deadly earthquakes that hit the southwestern Japan region. Seats for participants are arranged to maintain social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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4th anniversary of Kumamoto quakes

People observe a moment of silence during a memorial ceremony commemorating the fourth anniversary of devastating earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, at the prefectural government office in Kumamoto city on April 14, 2020. Participants observed social distancing etiquette amid the coronavirus outbreak. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Amazon, Kumamoto Pref. join hands to support quake recovery

Photo taken April 11, 2017, shows Amazon.com Inc.'s Japan unit and the Kumamoto prefectural government having signed an agreement to support the recovery of Kumamoto following strong earthquakes last April. Kumamon, the popular black bear mascot of the southwestern Japan prefecture, attended a press conference for the announcement of the agreement. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizo gets lodging coupon from mascot character

Star kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizo receives a complimentary accommodation coupon from Kumamon, a popular mascot character created by the Kumamoto prefectural government, in Kumamoto city, southwestern Japan, on Sept. 18, 2015. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Minamata disease lawsuit

FUKUOKA, Japan - Akio Mizoguchi smiles as he holds a portrait of his late mother Chie in front of the Fukuoka High Court in Fukuoka on Feb. 27, 2012, after the court required the Kumamoto prefectural government to certify her as a sufferer of Minamata mercury poisoning disease. (Kyodo)

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Admission ticket bearing 'Kumamon' character on sale

KUMAMOTO, Japan - A railway station admission ticket featuring the "Kumamon" mascot character of the Kumamoto prefectural government is on sale at Kumamoto Station of Kyushu Railway Co. in the prefectural capital, southwestern Japan. The ticket, put on sale on Oct. 20, 2014, commemorates the centennial of the launch of the Hohi Line's service between the Kumamoto and Higo-ozu stations. (Kyodo)

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Kumamoto's bear mascot wins popularity contest

KUMAMOTO, Japan - ''Kuma-mon'' -- a black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan -- is congratulated by local people at the entrance of the prefectural government office on Nov. 28, 2011. The mascot won a popularity contest between about 350 local mascots the previous day. (Kyodo)

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Kumamoto's bear mascot wins popularity contest

KUMAMOTO, Japan - ''Kuma-mon'' -- a black bear mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan -- receives a hug from Gov. Ikuo Kabashima at the entrance of the prefectural government office on Nov. 28, 2011. The governor congratulated the mascot for his winning of a popularity contest between about 350 local mascots the previous day. (Kyodo)

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Kumamon mascot

Kumamon mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture holds New Year's greeting cards at the southwestern Japan prefectural government office building on Jan. 5, 2021.

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Kumamon mascot

Kumamon mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture holds New Year's greeting cards at the southwestern Japan prefectural government office building on Jan. 5, 2021.

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Sumo: Shodai in home prefecture of Kumamoto

Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament winner Shodai (2nd from L), who hails from Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, poses for a photo with Kumamoto Gov. Ikuo Kabashima (L) and the prefecture's popular mascot Kumamon at the prefectural government headquarters in Kumamoto on Oct. 9, 2020.

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Sumo: Shodai in home prefecture of Kumamoto

Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament winner Shodai (R, front row), who hails from Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, poses for a photo with Kumamoto Gov. Ikuo Kabashima (2nd from R, front row) and the prefecture's popular mascot Kumamon at the prefectural government headquarters in Kumamoto on Oct. 9, 2020.

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4th anniversary of Kumamoto quakes

A memorial ceremony commemorating the fourth anniversary of devastating earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is held at the prefectural government office in Kumamoto city on April 14, 2020. Participants observed social distancing etiquette amid the coronavirus outbreak. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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4th anniversary of Kumamoto quakes

A memorial ceremony commemorating the fourth anniversary of devastating earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is held at the prefectural government office in Kumamoto city on April 14, 2020. Participants observed social distancing etiquette amid the coronavirus outbreak. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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4th anniversary of Kumamoto quakes

A memorial ceremony commemorating the fourth anniversary of devastating earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, is held at the prefectural government office in Kumamoto city on April 14, 2020. Participants observed social distancing etiquette amid the coronavirus outbreak. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo