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Ritual to pour holy water into river in Japan

Buddhist monks walk along the Onyu River in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, in central Japan, on March 2, 2026, after pouring holy water into the river during a ritual. It is believed that the water arrives in a well at Todai-ji temple in the western Japan city of Nara.

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Ritual to pour holy water into river in Japan

Buddhist monks hold a ritual to pour holy water into the Onyu River in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, in central Japan, on March 2, 2026. It is believed that the water arrives in a well at Todai-ji temple in the western Japan city of Nara.

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Ritual to pour holy water into river in Japan

Buddhist monks hold a ritual to pour holy water into the Onyu River in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, in central Japan, on March 2, 2026. The water arrives in a well at Todai-ji temple in the western Japan city of Nara.

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Ritual to pour holy water into river in Japan

Buddhist monks hold a ritual to pour holy water into the Onyu River in the Sea of Japan coastal city of Obama in Fukui Prefecture on March 2, 2025. It is believed that the water arrives in a well at Todai-ji temple in the western Japan city of Nara 10 days later.

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Ritual to pour holy water into river in Japan

Buddhist monks hold a ritual to pour holy water into the Onyu River in the Sea of Japan coastal city of Obama in Fukui Prefecture on March 2, 2025. It is believed that the water arrives in a well at Todai-ji temple in the western Japan city of Nara 10 days later.

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North Korea's abduction of Japanese

Yasushi Chimura, one of the five Japanese abducted by North Korea who returned home in 2002, gives a speech at Obama Police Station in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, on June 24, 2024.

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Obama city to present pen to Obama

TOKYO, Japan - Koji Matsuzaki (L), mayor of Obama city in Fukui Prefecture, hands a lacquered pen to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the premier's office in Tokyo on Feb. 14, 2013. Abe will deliver the red lacquered pen, a local specialty, to U.S. President Barack Obama as a gift for his inauguration for a second four-year term as president, from the city with the same name.

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Fukui group's picture story on abduction issue

FUKUI, Japan - Kinichi Ikeda (R), chairman of a group supporting families of citizens kidnapped by North Korea, is seen in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on July 8, 2014, with a picture story to help children understand the issue. The group asked volunteers to make the picture story.

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Ceremony held to send holy water to temple in Nara, Japan

TSURUGA, Japan - A Buddhist priest pours holy water into the Onyu River in Obama, Fukui Prefecture on March 2, 2014, as part of a ceremony to send water to the Todai-ji temple in the ancient capital city of Nara. It is believed that the water arrives in a well in the temple's premises 10 days later.

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Typhoon hits Japan

OBAMA, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a flooded area in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on Sept. 16, 2013, following heavy rain brought by Typhoon Man-yi.

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Typhoon hits Japan

OBAMA, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a flooded area in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on Sept. 16, 2013, following heavy rain brought by Typhoon Man-yi.

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Typhoon hits Japan

OBAMA, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a flooded area in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on Sept. 16, 2013, following heavy rain brought by Typhoon Man-yi.

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Typhoon hits Japan

OBAMA, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a flooded area in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on Sept. 16, 2013, following heavy rain brought by Typhoon Man-yi.

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Typhoon hits Japan

OBAMA, Japan - Photo shows vehicles abandoned on a flooded road in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on Sept. 16, 2013, following heavy rain brought by Typhoon Man-yi.

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Japanese town of Obama celebrates Obama's reelection

OBAMA, Japan - People in Obama, a small town in Fukui Prefecture, applaud as a U.S. TV network announces U.S. President Barack Obama has secured reelection on Nov. 7, 2012.

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Japanese town of Obama celebrates Obama's reelection

OBAMA, Japan - People in Obama, a small town in Fukui Prefecture, hold a banner with a congratulatory message as they celebrate the reelection of U.S. President Barack Obama on Nov. 7, 2012.

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Japanese town of Obama celebrates Obama's reelection

OBAMA, Japan - People in Obama, a small town in Fukui Prefecture, watch a U.S. TV network's live coverage of the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 7, 2012, cheering on incumbent Barack Obama.

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Former abductees' family regains "ordinary life" in Japan hometown

TOKYO, Japan - Abduction victims Yasushi Chimura (L) and his wife Fukie hold a press conference in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on Oct. 4, 2012 ahead of the 10th anniversary of their return to Japan from North Korea.

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Oi plant's No. 4 reactor starts capacity operation

OBAMA, Japan - Photo from a Kyodo News helicopter shows the No. 4 reactor building (right) at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi nuclear power plant in the town of Oi, Fukui Prefecture, on July 25, 2012. The reactor, which is the second to go back online after all of Japan's commercial reactors were taken offline for regular checks in the wake of the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, started full-capacity power generation early on July 25 to ease electricity shortages in western Japan. The building housing the No. 3 reactor, the first to resume operation, is seen to the left.

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Oi plant's No. 4 reactor starts capacity operation

OBAMA, Japan - Photo from a Kyodo News helicopter shows the No. 4 reactor building (front) at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi nuclear power plant in the town of Oi, Fukui Prefecture, on July 25, 2012. The reactor, which is the second to go back online after all of Japan's commercial reactors were taken offline for regular checks in the wake of the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, started full-capacity power generation early on July 25 to ease electricity shortages in western Japan. The building housing the No. 3 reactor, the first to resume operation, is seen in the back.

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Roos receives enthusiastic welcome in Obama city

OBAMA, Japan - U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos (R) shakes hands with Fukui Prefecture Gov. Issei Nishikawa (L) and Mayor Koji Matsuzaki as he is welcomed to the city of Obama on July 9, 2010. ''The citizens of this town share a name Obama with the president and it has made us feel a great affection and joy,'' the mayor said in a speech to welcome Roos.

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Obama city residents delighted over Obama's presidential victory

OBAMA, Japan - Members of a hula dance team, dubbed the ''Obama Girls,'' perform to celebrate Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's victory in the U.S. presidential election in the city of Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on Nov. 5. Around 200 local people, U.S. students and Obama supporters gathered at a rally at a culture center in the city on the Sea of Japan coast.

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Obama city residents delighted over Obama's presidential victory

OBAMA, Japan - Residents of the Japanese city of Obama in Fukui Prefecture celebrate on Nov. 5 after Illinois Sen. Barack Obama won the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 4. About 200 citizens, U.S. students and Obama supporters gathered at a rally at a culture center in the city on the Sea of Japan coast chanting Obama's name and his slogan, ''Yes, we can.''

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Obama city residents delighted over Obama's presidential victory

OBAMA, Japan - Residents of the Japanese city of Obama in Fukui Prefecture on Nov. 5 watch a TV program reporting early returns in the Nov. 4 U.S. presidential election. About 200 citizens, U.S. students and Obama supporters gathered at a rally at a culture center in the city on the Sea of Japan coast.

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Obama city residents delighted over Obama's presidential victory

OBAMA, Japan - A man puts a marker on a U.S. state where Illinois Sen. Barack Obama won in the Nov. 4 U.S. presidential election in the Japanese city of Obama in Fukui Prefecture on Nov. 5. About 200 citizens, U.S. students and Obama supporters gathered at a rally at a culture center in the city on the Sea of Japan coast.

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Obama city receives letter from U.S. presidential hopeful Obama

OBAMA, Japan - An official of the city of Obama, Fukui Prefecture, shows a letter addressed to Mayor Toshio Murakami from U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama at city hall on March 4. Many people in the small coastal city in central Japan are supporting the U.S. senator's bid for the White House as he shares the same name. The senator thanked the city for its support in the letter.

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Artificial raising of mackerels under way

OBAMA, Japan - Fresh fish shop Kutsukiya in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast, sells the popular baked mackerels.

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Abductee Chimura becomes regular employee of Obama city

OBAMA, Japan - Yasushi Chimura (R), an abductee repatriated from North Korea, receives from Toshio Murakami (L), the mayor of Obama in Fukui Prefecture, the certification of his appointment as a planning official in the city's tourism and international exchange section in a ceremony at city hall on April 3.

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Chimuras explain abduction issues to children

OBAMA, Japan - Japanese abductees Yasushi Chimura (R) and his wife Fukie (L) explain to reporters in Obama in Fukui Prefecture that they talked about the abduction issue with their three children.

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(1)Names of Chimuras' children unveiled

OBAMA, Japan - Japanese repatriated abductees Yasushi Chimura (C) and his wife Fukie (R) register at the Obama municipal office in Fukui Prefecture on May 31 the change of address of their three children, Emi, Yasuhiko and Kiyoshi, who came to Japan from North Korea on May 22.

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Chimura remained isolated in N. Korea after abduction

OBAMA, Japan - Yasushi Chimura, one of the five Japanese abductees repatriated from North Korea in 2002, speaks with reporters in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on May 28. Chimura said he remained isolated for a long time after he was abducted in 1978.

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N. Korea may have ordered Chimuras' children to return

OBAMA, Japan - Former abductee Yasushi Chimura speaks to reporters in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on May 23 after returning to his hometown with his three children from North Korea. Chimura said he thinks North Korea may have ordered his daughter and two sons to return to the country after meeting with him and his wife Fukie, also a repatriated abductee.

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Chimuras back home in Fukui Pref.

OBAMA, Japan - Former abductees Yasushi Chimura (R), his wife Fukie (L) and their daughter and two sons are welcomed by people in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on May 24. The daughter and sons came to Japan from Pyongyang to be reunited with their parents as a result of talks May 22 between Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

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Chimuras prepare for return of their children

OBAMA, Japan - Repatriated abductees Yasushi Chimura and his wife Fukie carry things to their new rented house in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on May 18 in preparation for the return of their three children they have left behind in North Korea.

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LDP's Abe vows to settle abduction issue with N. Korea

TOKYO, Japan - Shinzo Abe (R), secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, shakes hands with Yasushi Chimura at the Obama municipal government office in Fukui Prefecture on Feb. 7, with Chimura's wife looking on. The Chimuras are among five Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea in 1978 who are now back in their homeland. Their children are still in Pyongyang.

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(1)5 ex-N. Korea abductees cast votes in election

OBAMA, Japan - Yasushi Chimura and his wife, Fukie, cast their ballots in the House of Representatives election in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on Nov. 9. The couple are among five Japanese abducted by North Korea who returned to Japan last year.

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(1)Abductees meet the press

OBAMA, Japan - Yasushi Chimura (R), 48, and his wife Fukie, 48, abducted to North Korea in the late 1970s and returned to Japan in 2002, gives a joint news conference at the Obama municipal government office in Fukui Prefecture on Oct. 14, a day before marking the first anniversary of their repatriation from North Korea.

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Ex-abductee Chimura serves as Japanese-Korean interpreter

OBAMA, Japan - Yasushi Chimura (R), who was abducted by North Korea in 1978 and repatriated to Japan in 2002, serves as a Japanese-Korean interpreter for the first time in a public event in Obama, Fukui Prefecture on Oct. 11. Working for his employer, Obama Mayor Toshio Murakami, the 48-year-old Chimura translated his address to roughly 90 participants in a gathering on Japan-Korea friendship.

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Chimuras visit photo exhibition on abductions

OBAMA, Japan - Yasushi Chimura (R) and his wife Fukie, two of five Japanese repatriated to Japan last October after North Korea abducted them in 1978, view photos on the abduction issue in their hometown of Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on Sept. 7 after attending an opening ceremony for the show.

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(1)Former abductees discuss letters from children

OBAMA, Japan - Yasushi (R) and Fukie Chimura, abducted to North Korea 25 years ago and repatriated to Japan last October, show reporters a letter from their 21-year-old daughter in North Korea on Aug. 3 in Obama, Fukui Prefecture. They said she believes they are being detained in Japan.

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Japan fishery farm succeeds in hatching snow crab

OBAMA, Japan - A fishery farm in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, announced May 27 it has succeeded in mass hatching of snow crab for the first time in Japan. Japan's nnual hauls of snow crab, a delicacy in the winter season, have dwindled to a six of the peak-time levels, according to local fishery officials.

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(2)Hasuikes, Chimuras start working at local gov'ts

OBAMA, Japan - Yasushi Chimura poses at his desk on the first day of his work at the Obama city government office in Fukui Prefecture on April 1. Assigned to a department in charge of promoting business, Chimura will help in activities related to food, such as the operation of a local food museum. (Pool photo) (Kyoido)

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Obama mayor reads poem by abductee's brother at ceremony

OBAMA, Japan - Toshio Murakami (on rostrum), mayor of Obama, home to Yasushi Chimura and his wife Fukie, reads a poem written by Fukie's brother Yuko Hamamoto on Jan. 12 at a coming-of-age ceremony in the Fukui Prefecture city. The Chimuras are back in Japan after being abducted to North Korea in 1978. (Pool photo)

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Chimuras meet Obama mayor to discuss job hunt

OBAMA, Japan - Yasushi Chimura (C) and his wife Fukie (R), two of the five Japanese abducted by North Korea in 1978 and now back in Japan, meet Toshio Murakami, mayor of Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on Jan. 7 to discuss the possibility of Chimura working at the municipal office. (Pool photo)

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Class reunion held for Chimuras

OBAMA, Japan - Yasushi (C) and Fukie (L) Chimura, two of the five Japanese nationals who have returned after being abducted to North Korea more than 24 years ago, toast at a class reunion their former classmates held in Obama, Fukui Prefecture on Jan. 3 to cheer them up. (Pool photo)

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Chimuras celebrate New Year's Day in Japan

OBAMA, Japan - Yasushi Chimura (L) and his wife, Fukie, among those abducted by North Korea in 1978 but now back in Japan, on Jan. 1 visit Fukie's family home in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, to celebrate New Year's Day with relatives. Speaking to reporters, Chimura, 47, expressed his wish to be reunited as soon as possible with his children. ''I cannot hide my feeling that I wish my children were also here,'' he said. (pool photo)

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Chimura father wants to visit N. Korea to meet grandchildren

OBAMA, Japan - Tamotsu Chimura, the father of Yasushi Chimura now back in Japan after being abducted to North Korea in 1978, tells reporters at his home in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on Dec. 31 he wants to travel to Pyongyang to see his grandchildren there if Japanese government officials accompany him. Yasushi has three children still in Pyongyang. (Pool photo)

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Abductee urges N. Korea to take humanitarian view of children

OBAMA, Japan - Yasushi Chimura and his wife Fukie, two of five Japanese abducted by North Korea in 1978 but now back in Japan, speak to reporters at his home in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on Dec. 30. Chimura said he wants Pyongyang to approach the issue of the abductees' children still in North Korea from a humanitarian perspective. (Pool photo)

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Chimuras determined to wait for children from N. Korea

OBAMA, Japan - Yasushi Chimura (R) and his wife Fukie, two of the five Japanese abducted to North Korea in 1978 and now back in Japan, speak to reporters in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, on Nov. 30 about their resolve to wait for their children in the North to be brought to Japan. (Pool photo)

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Father to force Chimura to speak about 8 on dead abductee list

OBAMA, Japan - Tamotsu Chimura, whose son Yasushi was abducted by North Korean agents in 1978 but is now back in Japan, speaks in a recent interview with Kyodo News in Obama, Fukui Prefecture. He said said he will force his son to ''tell the truth'' about eight Japanese abductees listed by Pyongyang as dead when his grandchildren come to Japan from the communist state.