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Clock festival at shrine in western Japan

A woman wearing a traditional Japanese court dress offers a clock to a priest during an annual clock festival at Omi Jingu shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on June 10, 2025. Omi Jingu enshrines Emperor Tenji, who is said to have established a system to measure time in seventh-century Japan by setting up a water clock.

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Clock festival at shrine in western Japan

A woman wearing a traditional Japanese court dress attends an annual clock festival at Omi Jingu shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on June 10, 2025. Omi Jingu enshrines Emperor Tenji, who is said to have established a system to measure time in seventh-century Japan by setting up a water clock.

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Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

OTSU, Japan, March 10 Kyodo - Video taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a sightseeing ship parading on Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture capital of Otsu, western Japan, in a ceremony marking the start of the tourist season at Japan's largest lake on March 8, 2025. (Kyodo)

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Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a sightseeing ship parading on Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture capital of Otsu, western Japan, in a ceremony marking the start of the tourist season at Japan's largest lake on March 8, 2025.

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Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows sightseeing ships parading on Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture capital of Otsu, western Japan, in a ceremony marking the start of the tourist season at Japan's largest lake on March 8, 2025.

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Baseball: Japan vs. Netherlands

Japan's Ryosuke Otsu throws in the second game of a two-game baseball exhibition series against the Netherlands at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, western Japan, on March 6, 2025.

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Japanese "karuta" card game championships

Seira Yajima (L) and Naho Inoue warm up for the women'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.

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Japanese "karuta" card game championships

Sojiro Jimi (R) and Seira Yajima pose with their trophies on Jan. 11, 2025, after winning the men's and women's final of the "karuta" traditional card-taking championships at Omi Jingu shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture in western Japan, on Jan. 11, 2025.

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Japanese "karuta" card game championships

Sojiro Jimi (R) and Seira Yajima pose with their trophies on Jan. 11, 2025, after winning the men's and women's final of the "karuta" traditional card-taking championships at Omi Jingu shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture in western Japan, on Jan. 11, 2025.

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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.

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Nationwide street fundraising by Buddhist monks

Tendai Buddhist monks walk around houses in the Shiga Prefecture city of Otsu, western Japan, on Dec. 1, 2023, for street fundraising across the nation, with proceeds to be donated to such organizations as Japanese Red Cross Society.

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Lake Biwa fireworks in western Japan

Fireworks are launched over Lake Biwa on Aug. 8, 2023, as the annual grand fireworks festival returns to Otsu in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, for the first time since pre-pandemic 2019.

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Lake Biwa fireworks in western Japan

Fireworks are launched over Lake Biwa on Aug. 8, 2023, as the annual grand fireworks festival returns to Otsu in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, for the first time since pre-pandemic 2019.

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Clock festival at shrine in western Japan

A woman wearing a traditional Japanese court dress attends an annual clock festival at Omi Jingu shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on June 10, 2023. Omi Jingu enshrines Emperor Tenji, who is said to have established a system to measure time in seventh-century Japan.

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Clock festival at shrine in western Japan

Women wearing traditional Japanese court dresses attend an annual clock festival at Omi Jingu shrine in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on June 10, 2023. Omi Jingu enshrines Emperor Tenji, who is said to have established a system to measure time in seventh-century Japan.

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Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows a gold-colored key cast out onto Lake Biwa from a sightseeing ship during a ceremony marking the start of the tourist season at Japan's largest lake in the Shiga Prefecture capital of Otsu, western Japan, on March 4, 2023.

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Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows sightseeing ships and cruisers parading on Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture capital of Otsu, western Japan, in a ceremony marking the start of the tourist season at Japan's largest lake on March 4, 2023.

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Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows sightseeing ships and cruisers parading on Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture capital of Otsu, western Japan, in a ceremony marking the start of the tourist season at Japan's largest lake on March 4, 2023.

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Tourist season starts at Japan's largest lake

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows sightseeing ships and cruisers parading on Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture capital of Otsu, western Japan, in a ceremony marking the start of the tourist season at Japan's largest lake on March 4, 2023.

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Ex-school turns to 'holy site' for anime fans

OTSU, Japan - This photo taken in July 2010 shows a former elementary school building in the town of Toyosato, Shiga Prefecture, which turned into a ''holy site'' for fans of Japanese animation ''Keion!'' as it is believed as the model of the school in the story, attracting hordes of pilgrims lately. ''Keion!'' (Light Music!) is a TV series featuring a group of high school girls who join a school band.

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Ex-school turns to 'holy site' for anime fans

OTSU, Japan - Male fans of animated TV series ''Keion!'' (Light Music!) in school uniforms for high school girls visit a former building of Toyosato Elementary School, which is believed to be the model for the school in ''Keion!,'' in the town of Toyosato, Shiga Prefecture, in July 2010. ''Keion!'' (Light Music!) is a TV series featuring a group of high school girls who join a school band and the building recently is attracting hordes of anime fans who make a pilgrimage to the site.

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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.

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High school student becomes youngest 'Karuta' card champion

OTSU, Japan - Saki Kusunoki (L), a 15-year-old junior high school student from Oita Prefecture, becomes the youngest Japanese 'Karuta' card champion by beating 25-year-old housewife Yuri Arakawa from Nara Prefecture, who was the championship queen for the past two years.

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Religious leaders pray for world peace and release of S. Koreans

OTSU, Japan - Religious leaders from around the world and about 1,000 participants attending a world peace ceremony at the Hieizan Enryakuji Temple in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Aug. 4, pray for world peace and the release of South Korean hostages being held in Afghanistan.

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New coronavirus

OTSU, Japan, March 8 Kyodo - Staff of the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon wear face masks at Ojiyama Stadium in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on March 8, 2020, amid concern over the spread of the new coronavirus.

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New coronavirus

OTSU, Japan, March 8 Kyodo - Visitors of Ojiyama Stadium in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, disinfect their hands on March 8, 2020, during the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon held amid concern over the spread of the new coronavirus.

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New coronavirus

OTSU, Japan, March 8 Kyodo - An official disinfects a visitor's hands at Ojiyama Stadium in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, during the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon on March 8, 2020, amid concern over the spread of the new coronavirus.

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Chebii claims Lake Biwa Marathon

OTSU, Japan, March 5 Kyodo - Ezekiel Kiptoo Chebii of Kenya crosses the finish line in the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon in the central Japan city of Otsu on March 5, 2017, winning with a time of 2:09:06.

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Court nixes request to halt injunction banning Takahama plant restart

OTSU, Japan, June 17 Kyodo - The Otsu District Court in Shiga Prefecture rejects Kansai Electric Power Co.'s request on June 17, 2016, to suspend an injunction barring operation of the company's two reactivated reactors, seen in this photo -- Nos. 3-4 units at the Takahama nuclear plant, posing another setback for the Japanese government's push to ramp up nuclear power generation.

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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.

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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.

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Deer meat popular at curry shop in western Japan

OTSU, Japan - A dish of deer meat curry is served at a Curry House Coco Ichibanya outlet in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, in this photo taken on Dec. 25, 2014. Unlike in Europe, deer meat is not considered a delicacy in Japan, but the venison dish which uses meat from deer hunted to reduce their impact on the environment has steadily gained popularity.

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Winners of national Japanese card game competition

OTSU, Japan - Satoshi Kishida (R) and Tsubasa Tsubota hold trophies as the winners of the men's and women's divisions respectively at an annual national "karuta" Japanese card game competition in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 10, 2015. Kishida retained the "Meijin" (Master) title for the third straight year and Tsubota won the "Queen" title for the first time.

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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.

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Women compete in national card game contest

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

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Men compete in national Japanese card game contest

OTSU, Japan - Satoshi Kishida (R) and Kentaro Haruno compete for the "Meijin" (Master) title at an annual national "karuta" Japanese card game tournament in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 10, 2015. Kishida retained the title in the men's division for the third year in a row.

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Male card game champion retains title in national contest

OTSU, Japan - Satoshi Kishida (R) and Kentaro Haruno compete for the "Meijin" (Master) title at an annual national tournament of the "karuta" Japanese card game in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 10, 2015. Kishida retained the title in the men's division for the third year in a row.

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Court nixes demand seeking suspension of 2 nuclear plants restart

OTSU, Japan - Laywer Kenichi Ido (C) speaks to reporters in front of the Otsu District Court in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on Nov. 27, 2014, after the court rejected a demand by some western Japan residents seeking suspension of Kansai Electric Power Co.'s planned restart of nuclear reactors at its Takahama and Oi plants, now offline for a safety screening by the country's nuclear regulator.

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Postcard signed by Einstein in 1922 found in Japan

OTSU, Japan - A postcard bearing a signature by Albert Einstein is shown in this file photo taken at a museum in western Japan on July 4, 2014. The card, signed during the physicist's visit to Japan in 1922 after winning the Nobel Prize, was discovered in the Eizaburo Nishibori Memorial Explorer Museum in Higashiomi, Shiga Prefecture, dedicated to the scientist who led the first Japanese expedition to the Antarctic.

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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.

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Woman produces sake for voice actor of 'Gundam' figure

OTSU, Japan - Kayo Nakamura (R), an operator of a Japanese sake bar, smiles in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on Oct. 7, 2014, behind the "Shuichi the Scarlet" rice wine brand she produced in honor of Shuichi Ikeda, a popular voice actor known for playing the role of "Char" in the big-hit TV animation series "Gundam." On the poster behind her is the actor's photo.

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Museum finds Yosa Buson painting missing since 1922

OTSU, Japan - A museum in Koka, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, shows a long-missing painting by Japanese poet and painter Yosa Buson (1716-1783) to the press on Sept. 24, 2014. The whereabouts of the painting, currently owned by a company in Singapore, had been unknown for 92 years.

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WWII suicide motorboat survivor laments 'kamikaze' boom

OTSU, Japan - Tadakuma Iwai, honorary professor of Ritsumeikan University, shows his picture as a suicide motorboat pilot during World War II in Otsu, western Japan, on Aug. 1, 2014. He warns of the recent trend of novels and movies depicting "kamikaze" suicide missions, saying they are glossing over the past.

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Ceramic replica of Buddhist saint Kukai's wooden statue

OTSU, Japan - Otsuka Ohmi Ceramics Co. introduces a replica of the wooden statue of renowned monk Kukai (774-835), founder of the Shingon ("True Word") school of Buddhism, in Koga, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, on July 24, 20014. The replica was created using the latest 3D technology and a traditional ceramic technique.

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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.

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Candidate supporting nuclear phaseout elected Shiga governor

OTSU, Japan - Former lawmaker Taizo Mikazuki (R) receives flowers from Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on July 13, 2014, after winning the Shiga gubernatorial election to succeed her. 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.

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Crow uses wire hanger for making nest

OSAKA, Japan - A crow flies with a wire coat hanger in its mouth to make a nest in this undated photo taken in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, western Japan.

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Urban Animal Album

OSAKA, Japan - A crow takes wing in a quiet residential area of Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on March 15, 2014, holding a wire hanger in its beak to make a nest on a power pole.

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Sign language learning video

OTSU, Japan - A woman demonstrates sign language during a video shooting for educational materials in Kyoto City, western Japan, on May 18, 2014. People can learn sign language by watching the materials on a video site accessible via a QR code.

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Shiga governor

OTSU, Japan - Shiga Gov. Yukiko Kada (R) and House of Representatives member Taizo Mikazuki are pictured during a festival in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, on May 4, 2014. Sources close to her said on May 7, 2014, that Kada has decided, apparently after meeting Mikazuki, a prospective gubernatorial candidate of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, not to run in an upcoming gubernatorial election.