Search｜Photos & Images & Videos｜KYODO NEWS IMAGES INC

Golf: Toto Japan Classic

Japan's Nasa Hataoka poses after winning the Toto Japan Classic golf tournament at Seta Golf Course in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 9, 2025.

E

Japanese "karuta" card game championships

Sojiro Jimi (L) and Masayoshi Kawase warm up for the men's final of the Japanese "karuta" traditional card-taking championships at Omi Jingu shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture in western Japan, on Jan. 11, 2025.

E

Boxer dies during ascetic training at waterfall

OSAKA, Japan - Professional boxer Noriyuki Komatsu (in file photo) is found dead in the basin of a waterfall in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on April 13.

E

Various clocks dedicated to shrine at time festival in western Japan

OTSU, Japan, June 15 Kyodo - Women dressed in ancient court attire dedicate new clocks and wristwatches at a festival at Omi Shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on June 10, 2015, known as Time Day. The festival is held to commemorate the day when Emperor Tenji reportedly used the first water clock in Japan in 671.

E

Hikone city mascot Hikonyan turns nine

OTSU, Japan, April 13 Kyodo - Hikonyan (C), a mascot character of the western Japanese city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, receives a birthday cake during a celebration ceremony for its ninth birthday at Hikone Castle on April 13, 2015.

E

Women compete in national Japanese card game contest

OTSU, Japan - Tsubasa Tsubota (L) and Yuri Yamazoe compete for the "Queen" title at an annual national "karuta" Japanese card game tournament in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Jan. 10, 2015. Tsubota won the title in the women's division for the first time.

E

Bus tour participants chant Buddhist sutra at temple

OSAKA, Japan - Participants in a bus tour of well-known Buddhist temples in the western Japan region of Kinki chant the Heart Sutra at the Enryakuji temple in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Oct. 11, 2014.

E

Candidate supporting nuclear phaseout elected Shiga governor

OTSU, Japan - Former lawmaker Taizo Mikazuki (C) celebrates in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on July 13, 2014, after winning the Shiga gubernatorial election to succeed incumbent Gov. Yukiko Kada (L). Mikazuki, 43, a former Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker who supports phasing out nuclear power, won a three-way race, beating a candidate backed by the ruling parties by a narrow margin.

E

Deaf hammer thrower competing at top level in Japan

OTSU, Japan - Deaf hammer thrower Masatoshi Morimoto gives an interview to Kyodo News on June 24, 2013, in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.

E

Kipruto wins Lake Biwa marathon

OTSU, Japan - Kenya's Vincent Kipruto crosses the finish line at Ojiyama Stadium in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on March 3, 2013, winning the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 34 seconds.

E

Kipruto wins Lake Biwa marathon

OTSU, Japan - Kenya's Vincent Kipruto holds trophies in the award ceremony at Ojiyama stadium in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on March 3, 2013, after winning the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 34 seconds.

E

Shiga gov. announces split of antinuclear Tomorrow Party

OTSU, Japan - Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada (L) announces at a press conference in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Dec. 28, 2012, a split of the antinuclear Tomorrow Party of Japan into two groups only a month after its inception. Powerbroker Ichiro Ozawa (R) sat next to her at the conference. Kada will leave the party with House of Representatives member Tomoko Abe to form a separate party, while party members supporting Ozawa will take the party, which is renamed "Seikatsu no To" (Party of People's Lives).

E

Anti-nuclear power party

OTSU, Japan - Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada is surrounded by reporters in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 28, 2012. The governor announced the previous day her plan to form a new party, Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), calling for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election.

E

Anti-nuclear power party

OTSU, Japan - Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada is surrounded by reporters in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 28, 2012. The governor announced the previous day her plan to form a new party, Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), calling for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election.

E

Anti-nuclear power party

OTSU, Japan - Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada is surrounded by reporters in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 28, 2012. The governor announced the previous day her plan to form a new party, Nippon Mirai no To (Japan Future Party), calling for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, ahead of the Dec. 16, 2012, general election.

E

Shiga governor arranging to establish new party

OTSU, Japan - The governor of Shiga Prefecture, Yukiko Kada (C back), meets the press at the prefectural government offices in Otsu on Nov. 26, 2012. Kada, who has called for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, said she is arranging to establish a new political party ahead of the Dec. 16 general election.

E

Shiga governor arranging to establish new party

OTSU, Japan - The governor of Shiga Prefecture, Yukiko Kada (L), meets the press at the prefectural government offices in Otsu on Nov. 26, 2012. Kada, who has called for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, said she is arranging to establish a new political party ahead of the Dec. 16 general election.

E

Shiga governor arranging to establish new party

OTSU, Japan - The governor of Shiga Prefecture, Yukiko Kada, meets the press at the prefectural government offices in Otsu on Nov. 26, 2012. Kada, who has called for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, said she is arranging to establish a new political party ahead of the Dec. 16 general election.

E

Shiga governor arranging to establish new party

OTSU, Japan - The governor of Shiga Prefecture, Yukiko Kada, meets the press at the prefectural government offices in Otsu on Nov. 26, 2012. Kada, who has called for the gradual phasing out of nuclear power, said she is arranging to establish a new political party ahead of the Dec. 16 general election.

E

Yamamoto finishes 4th in Lake Biwa marathon

OTSU, Japan - Japan's Ryo Yamamoto crosses the finish line at Ojiyama stadium in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on March 4, 2012, placing fourth in the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon in 2 hours, 8 minutes and 44 seconds.

E

Ndungu wins Lake Biwa marathon

OTSU, Japan - Kenya's Samuel Ndungu crosses the finish line at Ojiyama stadium in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on March 4, 2012, to win the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon in 2 hours, 7 minutes and 4 seconds.

E

Japan's youngest-ever female mayor

OTSU, Japan - Naomi Koshi, a 36-year-old lawyer, celebrates with her supporters on the night of Jan. 22, 2012, in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, after being elected Japan's youngest-ever female mayor by voters in the capital of the western Japanese prefecture.

E

Japan's youngest-ever female mayor

OTSU, Japan - Naomi Koshi, a 36-year-old lawyer, raises her fist before her supporters on the night of Jan. 22, 2012, in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, after being elected Japan's youngest-ever female mayor by voters in the capital of the western Japanese prefecture.

E

'Karuta' queen competition in Otsu

OTSU, Japan - Participants of the Japanese traditional card game competition try to snag a card for the ''karuta'' queen title at Omi Jingu, a Shinto shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Jan. 8, 2011. The karuta game using ''Ogura Hyakunin Isshu,'' one hundred ''waka'' poem cards, is a typical New Year event in Japan.

E

Abandoned snapping turtle

OTSU, Japan - An 86-centimeter-long alligator snapping turtle is kept in a cage at the Shiga prefectural head office in Otsu on Oct. 18, 2010, after it was captured in an agricultural reservoir in Kusatsu in the prefecture. A prefectural government official said the turtle apparently grew to its present size in the reservoir after being abandoned by its unknown owner. The species is originally from the United States.

E

Tsegay wins Lake Biwa Marathon

OTSU, Japan - Ethiopian Yemane Tsegay crosses the finish line to win the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon at Ojiyama Stadium in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on March 7, 2010.

E

'Karuta' players compete for title of queen

OTSU, Japan - Saki Kusunoki (R) competes to defend her title of queen of the traditional ''karuta'' card game during a competition at the Omi shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Jan. 9, 2010. Kusunoki won the match, involving a set of 100 poem cards, for the sixth straight year.

E

'Tale of Genji' manuscripts discovered at temple

OTSU, Japan - This photo shows one of a set of 54 manuscripts of ''Genji Kokagami,'' a summary of the ancient Japanese novel ''The Tale of Genji.'' The manuscripts, which date back to the 17th century, were recently found at Ishiyamadera Temple in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture. Murasaki Shikibu, who lived in the 10th-11th century, is believed to have worked on the plot of her novel at the temple.

E

Tergat wins Lake Biwa Marathon

OTSU, Japan - Former world record holder Paul Tergat crosses the finish line at Ojiyama stadium in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on March 1, winning the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon.

E

3rd place in Lake Biwa marathon helps Osaki's Olympic cause

OTSU, Japan - Japan's Satoshi Osaki is delighted after his third-place finish at the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on March 2 as his performance improves his chances for a ticket to the Beijing Olympics this summer. Osaki finished with a personal best of 2 hours, 8 minutes, 36 seconds, shaving four seconds off Arata Fujiwara's second-place finishing time of 2:08:40 at last month's Tokyo Marathon. Qatari Mubarak Hassan Shami won the Shiga race in 2:08:23 and Eritrean Yared Asmeron was second in 2:08:34.

E

(1)Kenyan Riri wins Lake Biwa race

OTSU, Japan - Kenyan runner Joseph Riri (R), who won the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon on March 6, breaks away from defending champion Jose Rios of Spain (L) and Japan's Michitaka Hosokawa (C) at the Ojiyama track and field stadium in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.

E

(2)Kenyan Riri wins Lake Biwa race

OTSU, Japan - Kenyan runner Joseph Riri hits the tape at the Ojiyama track and field stadium in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, to win the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon on March 6.

E

Spain's Rios wins Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon

OTSU, Japan - Jose Rios of Spain wins the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon on March 7, hitting the tape at Ojiyama track and field stadium in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, in 2 hours, 7 minutes, 42 seconds -- just eight seconds outside the meet record set by his compatriot Antonio Pena in 2001.

E

Japan's Ojima places 2nd in Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon

OTSU, Japan - Tadayuki Ojima of Japan places second in the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon on March 7. Ojima made a strong case for selection to Japan's team for this summer's Athens Olympics after recording a time of 2:08:18 in the race which started and ended at Ojiyama track and field stadium in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.

E

Saito wins 1st Queen's title in 'karuta' tournament

OTSU, Japan - Yuri Saito (R) beats Fumie Watanabe to win her first Queen's title in an annual ''karuta'' Japanese cards tournament at Omi Shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Jan. 4.

E

(1)Residents accuse town mayor of damaging historic school

OTSU, Japan - Two persons representing the residents of the town of Toyosato, Shiga Prefecture, arrive at the prefectural police headquarters Dec. 24 to file a complaint against town mayor Wasaburo Ono, accusing him of damaging a historic elementary school building after a district court issued an injunction against demolishing the structure. The 65-year-old Toyosato Elementary School building was designed by American architect William Merrell Vories (1880-1964).

E

Int'l conference on lakes to open in Japan next week

OTSU, Japan - Photo shows the venue (foreground) for the ninth International Conference on the Conservation and Management of Lakes, which will begin Nov. 12 in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan. The prefecture, which contains Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake, hosted the first conference in 1984.

E

McCurdy takes 1st-round lead in Mizuno Classic golf

OTSU, Japan - American Cindy McCurdy misses the course record by one shot as she fired a 7-under-par 65 to set the early pace after the first round of the Mizuno Classic women's golf tournament on the Seta Golf Course in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Nov. 5. She got a two-stroke lead over South Korea's Ko Woo Soon and Rachel Hetherington of Australia.

E