Shinkansen birthplace monument shown to press

Shinkansen birthplace monument shown to press

ODAWARA, Japan - Satoshi Kubo, who was involved in the development of the Shinkansen train system, speaks before a monument marking the birthplace of the bullet train shown to the press in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, on June 25, 2014.

Birthplace monument of Shinkansen in Kanagawa Pref.

Birthplace monument of Shinkansen in Kanagawa Pref.

ODAWARA, Japan - A monument to mark the birthplace of the Shinkansen bullet train system in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, is shown to the press on June 25, 2014.

Oldest elephant in Japan dies

Oldest elephant in Japan dies

ODAWARA, Japan - In this file photo taken on Aug. 15, 2009, Umeko, Japan's oldest elephant, is watered at a park in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture. Umeko, who was believed to be about 100 years old in human years, died at the presumed age of 62 on Sept. 17, 2009.

Temperatures hit July levels in some places in Japan

Temperatures hit July levels in some places in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - Children splash water to cool off at the beach in Odaiba-kaihin-koen seaside park in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Feb. 14 as temperatures reached record highs for February at more than 100 locations throughout Japan. The temperatures shot up sharply in many parts of Japan as a warm air mass flowed in from the south, with the mercury reaching 26.8 C in the city of Shizuoka and 26.1 C in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture -- both levels typically seen in early July.

Temperatures hit July levels in some places in Japan

Temperatures hit July levels in some places in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - A woman takes off her jacket and walks in a T-shirt in Tokyo's Ginza District on Feb. 14 amid temperatures reaching record highs for February at more than 100 locations throughout Japan and levels typically seen in July in a few cities. The temperatures shot up sharply in many parts of Japan as a warm air mass flowed in from the south, with the mercury reaching 26.8 C in the city of Shizuoka and 26.1 C in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture -- both levels typically seen in early July.