Animation figures museum in Japan

Animation figures museum in Japan

Photo taken on Nov. 12, 2025, shows part of a collection of animated character figures on display at the Bankyo Figure Museum in Taki, Mie Prefecture, central Japan. The museum, located inside a factory of Bankyo Pharmaceutical Co., exhibits about 40,000 items collected by company president Nobuo Matsuura.

Animation figures museum in Japan

Animation figures museum in Japan

Photo taken on Nov. 12, 2025, shows part of a collection of animated character figures on display at the Bankyo Figure Museum in Taki, Mie Prefecture, central Japan. The museum, located inside a factory of Bankyo Pharmaceutical Co., exhibits about 40,000 items collected by company president Nobuo Matsuura.

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi listens to a question during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Nov. 12, 2025.

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi listens to a question during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Nov. 12, 2025.

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi listens to a question during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Nov. 12, 2025.

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi listens to a question during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Nov. 12, 2025.

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi drinks water during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Nov. 12, 2025.

Flower park lit up in western Japan

Flower park lit up in western Japan

A winter illumination event at the Tottori Hanakairo flower park in Nambu in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, is unveiled to the press on Nov. 12, 2025, two days ahead of its official opening.

Flower park lit up in western Japan

Flower park lit up in western Japan

A winter illumination event at the Tottori Hanakairo flower park in Nambu in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, is unveiled to the press on Nov. 12, 2025, two days ahead of its official opening.

Tokyo Skytree in anti-gendered violence color

Tokyo Skytree in anti-gendered violence color

Tokyo Skytree is lit up in purple on Nov. 12, 2025, as the Japanese government launches a campaign to tackle gender-based violence the same day ahead of the U.N.-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov. 25.

Tokyo Skytree in anti-gendered violence color

Tokyo Skytree in anti-gendered violence color

Tokyo Skytree is lit up in purple on Nov. 12, 2025, as the Japanese government launches a campaign to tackle gender-based violence the same day ahead of the U.N.-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov. 25.

Tokyo Skytree in anti-gendered violence color

Tokyo Skytree in anti-gendered violence color

Tokyo Skytree is lit up in purple on Nov. 12, 2025, as the Japanese government launches a campaign to tackle gender-based violence the same day ahead of the U.N.-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov. 25.

Tokyo Skytree in anti-gendered violence color

Tokyo Skytree in anti-gendered violence color

Tokyo Skytree is lit up in purple on Nov. 12, 2025, as the Japanese government launches a campaign to tackle gender-based violence the same day ahead of the U.N.-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov. 25.

Tokyo Skytree in anti-gendered violence color

Tokyo Skytree in anti-gendered violence color

Tokyo Skytree is lit up in purple on Nov. 12, 2025, as the Japanese government launches a campaign to tackle gender-based violence the same day ahead of the U.N.-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov. 25.

Tokyo Skytree in anti-gendered violence color

Tokyo Skytree in anti-gendered violence color

Tokyo Skytree is lit up in purple on Nov. 12, 2025, as the Japanese government launches a campaign to tackle gender-based violence the same day ahead of the U.N.-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov. 25.

Japan-S. Korea governors' meeting

Japan-S. Korea governors' meeting

Governors from Japan and South Korea hold a meeting to discuss social issues in the two countries in Incheon, near Seoul, on Nov. 12, 2025.

Japan-S. Korea governors' meeting

Japan-S. Korea governors' meeting

Governors from Japan and South Korea pose for a photo in Incheon, near Seoul, on Nov. 12, 2025, as they hold a meeting to discuss social issues.

Japan-S. Korea governors' meeting

Japan-S. Korea governors' meeting

Governors from Japan and South Korea hold a meeting to discuss social issues in the two countries in Incheon, near Seoul, on Nov. 12, 2025.

Japan-S. Korea governors' meeting

Japan-S. Korea governors' meeting

Governors from Japan and South Korea hold a meeting to discuss social issues in the two countries in Incheon, near Seoul, on Nov. 12, 2025.

Japan-S. Korea governors' meeting

Japan-S. Korea governors' meeting

Governors from Japan and South Korea hold a meeting to discuss social issues in the two countries in Incheon, near Seoul, on Nov. 12, 2025.

Japan crown prince at agricultural commendation ceremony

Japan crown prince at agricultural commendation ceremony

Japanese Crown Prince Fumihito (C) addresses the Agricultural Society of Japan's commendation ceremony for agricultural contributors in Tokyo on Nov. 12, 2025.

Japan crown prince at agricultural commendation ceremony

Japan crown prince at agricultural commendation ceremony

Japanese Crown Prince Fumihito addresses the Agricultural Society of Japan's commendation ceremony for agricultural contributors in Tokyo on Nov. 12, 2025.

Baseball: GM meetings in Las Vegas

Baseball: GM meetings in Las Vegas

Seattle Mariners general manager Justin Hollander meets the press as Major League Baseball's general manager meetings get under way in Las Vegas on Nov. 12, 2025. Hollander expressed an interest in acquiring Yakult Swallows slugger Munetaka Murakami after the Japanese Central League team posted the 25-year-old to MLB.

Baseball: GM meetings in Las Vegas

Baseball: GM meetings in Las Vegas

Baseball agent Scott Boras meets the press as Major League Baseball's general manager meetings get under way in Las Vegas on Nov. 12, 2025. Boras said his client Tatsuya Imai, pitcher of Japan's Seibu Lions, will be posted for MLB teams on Nov. 19.

Geneva International Music Competition

Geneva International Music Competition

Japanese violist Ayaka Taniguchi performs en route to winning second prize in the final round of the Geneva International Music Competition in Geneva on Nov. 12, 2025.

Geneva International Music Competition

Geneva International Music Competition

Japanese violist Ayaka Taniguchi performs en route to winning second prize in the final round of the Geneva International Music Competition in Geneva on Nov. 12, 2025.

Geneva International Music Competition

Geneva International Music Competition

Japanese violist Ayaka Taniguchi (2nd from L) is pictured after performing in the final round of the Geneva International Music Competition in Geneva on Nov. 12, 2025. Taniguchi won second prize.

Japan-Ukraine talks in Canada

Japan-Ukraine talks in Canada

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi (R) shakes hands with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada on Nov. 12, 2025.

Japan-Ukraine talks in Canada

Japan-Ukraine talks in Canada

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi (R) holds talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada on Nov. 12, 2025.

G-7 foreign ministers' meeting in Canada

G-7 foreign ministers' meeting in Canada

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha (R) speaks during the second day of a two-day meeting of Group of Seven foreign ministers in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada on Nov. 12, 2025.

G-7 foreign ministers' meeting in Canada

G-7 foreign ministers' meeting in Canada

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi meets the press in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada on Nov. 12, 2025, after attending a two-day meeting of the Group of Seven foreign ministers.

Japan-Ukraine talks in Canada

Japan-Ukraine talks in Canada

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi (R) shakes hands with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada on Nov. 12, 2025.

G-7 foreign ministers' meeting in Canada

G-7 foreign ministers' meeting in Canada

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi (C) attends the second day of a two-day meeting of Group of Seven foreign ministers in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada on Nov. 12, 2025.

G-7 foreign ministers' meeting in Canada

G-7 foreign ministers' meeting in Canada

Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven industrialized countries attend the second day of a two-day meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada on Nov. 12, 2025.

Spanish King Felipe VI visits China

Spanish King Felipe VI visits China

Spain's King Felipe VI (R) receives a guard of honor before his welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 12, 2025. Walking along with him is Chinese President Xi Jinping. (Pool photo)

Spanish King Felipe VI visits China

Spanish King Felipe VI visits China

Spain's King Felipe VI (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping are pictured after a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 12, 2025. (Pool photo)

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi listens to a question during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Nov. 12, 2025.

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi drinks water during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Nov. 12, 2025.

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japan PM Takaichi in parliament

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers a question during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Nov. 12, 2025.

Parliament addresses bear attacks in Japan

Parliament addresses bear attacks in Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a recent spate of bear attacks on humans in Japan, mainly in northern and northeastern Japan, during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Nov. 12, 2025. The prime minister unveiled a plan to dip into the fiscal 2025 supplementary budget to finance countermeasures.

Trial of 2022 deadly tour boat accident off Hokkaido

Trial of 2022 deadly tour boat accident off Hokkaido

Photo taken on Nov. 12, 2025, shows a courtroom of the Kushiro District Court in Kushiro in Hokkaido, northern Japan, ahead of the first hearing of a trial for the president of a tourist boat operator over a 2022 fatal marine accident. The Kazu I sank during a cruise around the World Heritage-listed Shiretoko Peninsula in April 2022, leaving 26 people dead or missing. (Pool photo)

JCG's oldest patrol boat retires

JCG's oldest patrol boat retires

A ceremony to decommission the Japan Coast Guard's oldest active patrol vessel, the icebreaker Soya, is held in Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Nov. 12, 2025, after 47 years in operation. The 3,100-ton ship traveled about 1.91 million kilometers, equivalent to 48 trips around the Earth, and rescued over 1,450 people in more than 600 shipwreck cases.

JCG's oldest patrol boat retires

JCG's oldest patrol boat retires

A ceremony to decommission the Japan Coast Guard's oldest active patrol vessel, the icebreaker Soya, is held in Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Nov. 12, 2025, after 47 years in operation. The 3,100-ton ship traveled about 1.91 million kilometers, equivalent to 48 trips around the Earth, and rescued over 1,450 people in more than 600 shipwreck cases.

JCG's oldest patrol boat retires

JCG's oldest patrol boat retires

The icebreaker Soya's logo is painted over as a ceremony to decommission the ship, the Japan Coast Guard's oldest active patrol vessel, is held in Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Nov. 12, 2025, after 47 years in operation. The 3,100-ton ship traveled about 1.91 million kilometers, equivalent to 48 trips around the Earth, and rescued over 1,450 people in more than 600 shipwreck cases.

JCG's oldest patrol boat retires

JCG's oldest patrol boat retires

A ceremony to decommission the Japan Coast Guard's oldest active patrol vessel, the icebreaker Soya, is held in Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Nov. 12, 2025, after 47 years in operation. The 3,100-ton ship traveled about 1.91 million kilometers, equivalent to 48 trips around the Earth, and rescued over 1,450 people in more than 600 shipwreck cases.

JCG's oldest patrol boat retires

JCG's oldest patrol boat retires

A ceremony to decommission the Japan Coast Guard's oldest active patrol vessel, the icebreaker Soya, is held in Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Nov. 12, 2025, after 47 years in operation. The 3,100-ton ship traveled about 1.91 million kilometers, equivalent to 48 trips around the Earth, and rescued over 1,450 people in more than 600 shipwreck cases.

Fukuma loses by default in shogi title series

Fukuma loses by default in shogi title series

Combined photo taken on Sept. 8, 2024, and in July 2022, respectively, shows professional shogi players in the women's category Tomoka Nishiyama (L) and Kana Fukuma. Nishiyama defended her Osho women's title as her competitor Fukuma withdrew from the third match of a best-of-three series due to ill health on Oct. 29, 2024. Fukuma earlier said she would be sidelined from competition between Nov. 17, 2024, and Feb. 12, 2025, due to pregnancy.

Holder of 5 women's shogi titles back to competition

Holder of 5 women's shogi titles back to competition

Professional shogi player Kana Fukuma, holder of five titles in the women's category, is pictured after beating Kei Kato in a round-robin match at the Hakurei women's championship in Takatsuki, Osaka, on Feb. 14, 2025. She returned to competition after being sidelined between Nov. 17, 2024, and Feb. 12, 2025, due to pregnancy.

Memorial service for ex-yokozuna Kitanofuji

Memorial service for ex-yokozuna Kitanofuji

A memorial service is held for former yokozuna Kitanofuji, a 10-time grand sumo tournament champion, whose real name was Katsuaki Takezawa, in Tokyo on Dec. 18, 2024. The former yokozuna, who mentored two grand champions including the legendary Chiyonofuji before becoming a popular TV sumo pundit, died on Nov. 12, 2024, at the age of 82.

Crystal-glass Christmas trees sparkle at Hakone museum

Crystal-glass Christmas trees sparkle at Hakone museum

Photo taken on Nov. 12, 2024, shows Christmas trees decorated with crystal glass set up for display in the pond of the garden of the Venetian Glass Museum in the town of Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture in eastern Japan. Two trees, 11 meters and 8 meters high, are decorated with approximately 85,000 and 65,000 pieces of crystal glass, respectively, and will be on display until Jan. 13, 2025.