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.

Atsugi air base

Atsugi air base

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Nov. 18, 2024, shows the Atsugi air base, jointly operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Navy, straddling Ayase and Yamato in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.

Atsugi air base

Atsugi air base

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Nov. 18, 2024, shows the Atsugi air base, jointly operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Navy, straddling Ayase and Yamato in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.

Atsugi air base

Atsugi air base

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Nov. 18, 2024, shows the Atsugi air base, jointly operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Navy, straddling Ayase and Yamato in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.

Atsugi air base

Atsugi air base

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Nov. 18, 2024, shows the Atsugi air base, jointly operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Navy, straddling Ayase and Yamato in Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.

Football: World Cup qualifier

Football: World Cup qualifier

Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu attends a press conference in Xiamen, China, on Nov. 18, 2024, a day ahead of a 2026 football World Cup final-round Asian qualifier against China.

Football: World Cup qualifier

Football: World Cup qualifier

China manager Branko Ivankovic attends a press conference in Xiamen, China, on Nov. 18, 2024, a day ahead of a 2026 football World Cup final-round Asian qualifier against Japan.

Football: World Cup qualifier

Football: World Cup qualifier

Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu attends a press conference in Xiamen, China, on Nov. 18, 2024, a day ahead of a 2026 football World Cup final-round Asian qualifier against China.

Football: World Cup qualifier

Football: World Cup qualifier

China manager Branko Ivankovic attends a press conference in Xiamen, China, on Nov. 18, 2024, a day ahead of a 2026 football World Cup final-round Asian qualifier against Japan.

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki speaks to his alma mater Aikodai Meiden High School's baseball team during a baseball clinic on Nov. 18, 2024, in Kasugai in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki speaks to his alma mater Aikodai Meiden High School's baseball team during a baseball clinic on Nov. 18, 2024, in Kasugai in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki coaches his alma mater Aikodai Meiden High School's baseball team during a baseball clinic on Nov. 18, 2024, in Kasugai in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki coaches his alma mater Aikodai Meiden High School's baseball team during a baseball clinic on Nov. 18, 2024, in Kasugai in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki coaches his alma mater Aikodai Meiden High School's baseball team during a baseball clinic on Nov. 18, 2024, in Kasugai in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki coaches his alma mater Aikodai Meiden High School's baseball team during a baseball clinic on Nov. 18, 2024, in Kasugai in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki coaches his alma mater Aikodai Meiden High School's baseball team during a baseball clinic on Nov. 18, 2024, in Kasugai in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki coaches his alma mater Aikodai Meiden High School's baseball team during a baseball clinic on Nov. 18, 2024, in Kasugai in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Baseball: Ichiro coaches high school players

Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki smiles during a baseball clinic for his alma mater Aikodai Meiden High School's baseball team on Nov. 18, 2024, in Kasugai in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.

Baseball: Premier12

Baseball: Premier12

Japan's Haruto Inoue throws against the Dominican Republic in an opening round Group B game at the Premier12 baseball tournament in Taipei on Nov. 18, 2024.

Baseball: Premier12

Baseball: Premier12

Japan's Rikuto Yokoyama throws against the Dominican Republic in the eighth inning of an opening round Group B game at the Premier12 baseball tournament in Taipei on Nov. 18, 2024.

Baseball: Premier12

Baseball: Premier12

Japan's Kotaro Kurebayashi hits a two-run single in the ninth inning of an opening round Group B game against the Dominican Republic at the Premier12 baseball tournament in Taipei on Nov. 18, 2024.

Baseball: Premier12

Baseball: Premier12

Japan's Toshiya Sato hits an RBI double in the ninth inning of an opening round Group B game against the Dominican Republic at the Premier12 baseball tournament in Taipei on Nov. 18, 2024.

Baseball: Premier12

Baseball: Premier12

Japan players celebrate after defeating the Dominican Republic in their Premier12 baseball tournament opening round Group B game in Taipei on Nov. 18, 2024.

Baseball: Premier12

Baseball: Premier12

Japan players celebrate after defeating the Dominican Republic in their Premier12 baseball tournament opening round Group B game in Taipei on Nov. 18, 2024.

Baseball: Premier12

Baseball: Premier12

Japan players celebrate after defeating the Dominican Republic in their Premier12 baseball tournament opening round Group B game in Taipei on Nov. 18, 2024.

Japan-Canada summit in Rio de Janeiro

Japan-Canada summit in Rio de Janeiro

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (2nd from R) and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau (far L) hold talks in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 18, 2024. (Pool photo)

Japan-Canada summit in Rio de Janeiro

Japan-Canada summit in Rio de Janeiro

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (R) and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau shake hands ahead of their talks in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 18, 2024. (Pool photo)

Japan-Britain summit in Rio de Janeiro

Japan-Britain summit in Rio de Janeiro

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (2nd from R) and his British counterpart Keir Starmer (L) are pictured ahead of their talks in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 18, 2024. (Pool photo)

Japan-Britain summit in Rio de Janeiro

Japan-Britain summit in Rio de Janeiro

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (R) shakes hands with his British counterpart Keir Starmer ahead of their talks in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 18, 2024. (Pool photo)

G20 summit

G20 summit

A large monitor at the press center for a Group of 20 summit shows on Nov. 18, 2024, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (L) arriving at the venue of the two-day meeting that started in Rio de Janeiro the same day.

G20 summit

G20 summit

A large monitor in the press center shows Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (L) attending the first day of the two-day Group of 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 18, 2024.

Microsoft opens research base in Tokyo

Microsoft opens research base in Tokyo

U.S. technology giant Microsoft Corp. holds an opening ceremony for its research base in Tokyo, its first in Japan, in the Japanese capital on Nov. 18, 2024.

CORRECTED: Baseball: Premier12

CORRECTED: Baseball: Premier12

Japan's Ryoya Kurihara hits an RBI single in the fifth inning of a Group B game against Dominican Republic at the Premier12 baseball tournament on Nov. 18, 2024, in Taipei.

Baseball: Premier12

Baseball: Premier12

Japan's starting pitcher Shosei Togo (R) allows an RBI double by Michael De Leon (L) of Dominican Republic in the second inning of a Group B game at the Premier12 baseball tournament on Nov. 18, 2024, in Taipei.

Baseball: Premier12

Baseball: Premier12

Japan's starting pitcher Shosei Togo throws against Dominican Republic in a Group B game at the Premier12 baseball tournament on Nov. 18, 2024, in Taipei.

Baseball: Premier12

Baseball: Premier12

Japan's Kotaro Kiyomiya hits a single in the first inning of a Group B game against Dominican Republic at the Premier12 baseball tournament on Nov. 18, 2024, in Taipei.

Praemium Imperiale award winners in Tokyo

Praemium Imperiale award winners in Tokyo

The winners of the prestigious Praemium Imperiale arts award, (from L) Shigeru Ban, Sophie Calle, Maria Joao Pires, Doris Salcedo and Ang Lee line up for photos in Tokyo on Nov. 18, 2024.

Ex-MLB superstar A-Rod in Tokyo

Ex-MLB superstar A-Rod in Tokyo

Former MLB star Alex Rodriguez meets the press at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo on Nov. 18, 2024.

Boxing: Ioka to fight rematch against Martinez in Tokyo

Boxing: Ioka to fight rematch against Martinez in Tokyo

Former WBA super flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka of Japan speaks during a press conference in Tokyo on Nov. 18, 2024. Ioka will fight a world title rematch on New Year's Eve against Argentine boxer Fernando Martinez, winner of their two-belt unification bout in July.

Ex-MLB superstar A-Rod in Tokyo

Ex-MLB superstar A-Rod in Tokyo

Former MLB star Alex Rodriguez meets the press at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo on Nov. 18, 2024.

Boxing: Ioka to fight rematch against Martinez in Tokyo

Boxing: Ioka to fight rematch against Martinez in Tokyo

Former WBA super flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka of Japan poses for a photo after holding a press conference in Tokyo on Nov. 18, 2024. Ioka will fight a world title rematch on New Year's Eve against Argentine boxer Fernando Martinez, winner of their two-belt unification bout in July.

U.N. Special Rapporteur Orellana in Okinawa

U.N. Special Rapporteur Orellana in Okinawa

U.N. Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights Marcos Orellana is pictured on Nov. 18, 2024, in Naha in Japan's southern island prefecture of Okinawa, where he is visiting to conduct an on-site inspection into the high levels of potentially harmful chemicals known as PFAS that have been found in tap water, rivers and spring water around the U.S. military bases there.

U.N. Special Rapporteur Orellana in Okinawa

U.N. Special Rapporteur Orellana in Okinawa

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki (R) and U.N. Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights Marcos Orellana hold a meeting in Naha, Okinawa, on Nov. 18, 2024. Orellana is visiting Japan's southern island prefecture to conduct an on-site inspection into the high levels of potentially harmful chemicals known as PFAS that have been found in tap water, rivers and spring water around the U.S. military bases in Okinawa.

Japanese environment minister at COP29

Japanese environment minister at COP29

Japanese Environment Minister Keiichiro Asao speaks to reporters in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 18, 2024, as a ministerial-level meeting opens the same day at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, dubbed COP29.

BOJ Governor Ueda

BOJ Governor Ueda

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda speaks at a press conference in Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Nov. 18, 2024.

BOJ Governor Ueda

BOJ Governor Ueda

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda speaks at a press conference in Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Nov. 18, 2024.

BOJ Governor Ueda

BOJ Governor Ueda

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda leaves after completing a press conference in Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Nov. 18, 2024.

Hyogo gubernatorial election

Hyogo gubernatorial election

Former Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito attends a press conference in Kobe on Nov. 18, 2024, after being reelected in the western Japan prefecture's gubernatorial election the previous day. The election was held after he lost his position over power abuse accusations.

Hyogo gubernatorial election

Hyogo gubernatorial election

Former Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito attends a press conference in Kobe on Nov. 18, 2024, after being reelected in the western Japan prefecture's gubernatorial election the previous day. The election was held after he lost his position over power abuse accusations.

BOJ Governor Ueda

BOJ Governor Ueda

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda speaks at a meeting with local business leaders in Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Nov. 18, 2024.