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

Year-end ritual at Nachi Falls

Priests from Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine replace a giant sacred "shimenawa" rope with a new one above Nachi Falls during a year-end ritual in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 27, 2025.

E

Preparations for 2026 Year of Horse

A giant "ema" votive plaque bearing an illustration of a horse is put up at Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine in Nachikatsuura in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 15, 2025, ahead of the start of the Year of the Horse in 2026.

E

Preparations for 2026 Year of Horse

A giant "ema" votive plaque bearing an illustration of a horse is put up at Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine in Nachikatsuura in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 15, 2025, ahead of the start of the Year of the Horse in 2026.

E

Preparations for 2026 Year of Horse

A giant "ema" votive plaque bearing an illustration of a horse is put up at Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine in Nachikatsuura in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 15, 2025, ahead of the start of the Year of the Horse in 2026.

E

Taiwanese tourists to Japan

Tourists from Taiwan pose for a photo in front of a statue of Ryoma Sakamoto, a famed 19th-century historic figure who played a key role in Japan's transition from feudal rule to modern statehood during the Meiji Restoration, in Kochi, western Japan, on Dec. 15, 2025.

E

Taiwanese tourists to Japan

Tourists from Taiwan pose for a photo in front of a statue of Ryoma Sakamoto, a famed 19th-century historic figure who played a key role in Japan's transition from feudal rule to modern statehood during the Meiji Restoration, in Kochi, western Japan, on Dec. 15, 2025.

E

Taiwanese tourists to Japan

Tourists from Taiwan listen to a guide in front of a statue of Ryoma Sakamoto, a famed 19th-century historic figure who played a key role in Japan's transition from feudal rule to modern statehood during the Meiji Restoration, in Kochi, western Japan, on Dec. 15, 2025. ==Kyodo

E

Nobel laureate Kitagawa

Professor Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University, a co-winner of the year's Nobel Prize in chemistry, delivers a lecture on Dec. 24, 2025, at a Kindai University campus in Higashiosaka in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan.

E

Nobel laureate Kitagawa

Professor Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University, a co-winner of the year's Nobel Prize in chemistry, delivers a lecture on Dec. 24, 2025, at a Kindai University campus in Higashiosaka in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan.

E

Repainted Heian Jingu outer hall

Photo taken on Dec. 19, 2025, shows the Daigokuden outer hall of worship at Heian Jingu shrine in Kyoto, western Japan, following repainting and seismic reinforcement work.

E

Nachi Falls lit up in western Japan

Lighting tested at World Heritage-listed Nachi Falls and Seiganto-ji temple in Nachikatsuura in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 19, 2025, as a rehearsal for a light-up on New Year's eve.

E

Nachi Falls lit up in western Japan

Lighting tested at World Heritage-listed Nachi Falls and Seiganto-ji temple in Nachikatsuura in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 19, 2025, as a rehearsal for a light-up on New Year's eve.

E

Trial of shooter of ex-Japan PM Abe

NARA, Japan, Dec. 18 Kyodo - Video taken Dec. 18, 2025, shows the Nara District Court in Nara, western Japan, ahead of the trial of a man indicted for fatally shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during an election stump speech in the western Japan city in 2022. Prosecutors are scheduled to deliver their closing arguments and present a sentencing recommendation for the defendant. (Kyodo)

E

Novel laureate Kitagawa at press conference

Professor Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University, a co-winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry, speaks during a press conference at the state-run college in Kyoto, western Japan, on Dec. 19, 2025, following the university having been selected as a candidate for significant government grants at elevating Japanese research institutes to the top of global rankings.

E

Novel laureate Kitagawa at press conference

Professor Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University, a co-winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry, speaks during a press conference at the state-run college in Kyoto, western Japan, on Dec. 19, 2025, following the university having been selected as a candidate for significant government grants at elevating Japanese research institutes to the top of global rankings.

E

Trial of shooter of ex-Japan PM Abe

Photo taken Dec. 18, 2025, shows a courtroom of the Nara District Court in Nara ahead of the trial of a man indicted for fatally shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the western Japan city in July 2022. Prosecutors delivered their closing arguments and presented a recommendation of life imprisonment for the defendant the same day. (Pool photo)

E

Trial of shooter of ex-Japan PM Abe

Photo taken on Dec. 18, 2025, shows a courtroom of the Nara District Court in Nara ahead of the trial of a man indicted for fatally shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the western Japan city in 2022. Prosecutors are scheduled to deliver their closing arguments and present a sentencing recommendation for the defendant the same day. (Pool photo)

E

Trial of shooter of ex-Japan PM Abe

Photo taken Dec. 18, 2025, shows the Nara District Court in Nara, western Japan, ahead of the trial of a man indicted for fatally shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during an election stump speech in the western Japan city in 2022. Prosecutors are scheduled to deliver their closing arguments and present a sentencing recommendation for the defendant.

E

Year-end cleaning at Himeji Castle

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force personnel perform year-end cleaning of Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on Dec. 16, 2025, in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan.

E

Year-end cleaning at Himeji Castle

A member of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force performs year-end cleaning of Himeji Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on Dec. 16, 2025, in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan.

E

Nobel laureate Kitagawa returns to Japan

Kyoto University professor Susumu Kitagawa, a co-winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry, meets the press upon arriving at Osaka airport in western Japan on Dec. 15, 2025, following the award ceremony in Stockholm.

E

Nobel laureate Kitagawa returns to Japan

Kyoto University professor Susumu Kitagawa, a co-winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry, meets the press upon arriving at Osaka airport in western Japan on Dec. 15, 2025, following the award ceremony in Stockholm.

E

Nobel laureate Kitagawa returns to Japan

Kyoto University professor Susumu Kitagawa, co-winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry, meets the press with his Nobel medal in hand upon arriving at Osaka airport in western Japan on Dec. 15, 2025, following the award ceremony in Stockholm.

E

Funeral for cat stationmaster

A funeral for cat stationmaster Nitama is held at Wakayama Electric Railway's Kishi Station in Kinokawa in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025, following the cat's death in November at age 15.

E

Local city commends Nobel laureate Kitagawa

A banner celebrating Kyoto University professor Susumu Kitagawa, co-winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize in chemistry, is displayed on a wall of the Neyagawa city office in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 11, 2025. Kitagawa lives in the city.

E

Sumo wrestlers visit Hiroshima peace park

(From R) Ukrainian sumo wrestler ozeki Aonishiki, Mongolian yokozuna Hoshoryu and ozeki Kotozakura bow at the cenotaph at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima on Dec. 10, 2025. About 10 sumo wrestlers visited the park during a winter promotional tour in the western Japan city.

E

Preparations for 2026 Year of Horse

A giant "ema" votive plaque (R) bearing an illustration of a horse, next year's Chinese zodiac sign, stands at World Heritage-listed Niukanshobu shrine in Kudoyama in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 7, 2025, replacing an older plaque (L) with an illustration of a snake, the zodiac sign for 2025.

E

Year of Horse in 2026

Photo taken on Dec. 4, 2025, shows clay bells each topped with a horse at Konda Hachimangu shrine in Habikino in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan. A total of 1,300 bells are on sale at the shrine ahead of 2026, the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac.

E

Year of Horse in 2026

Photo taken on Dec. 4, 2025, shows a clay bell topped with a horse at Konda Hachimangu shrine in Habikino in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan. A total of 1,300 bells are on sale at the shrine ahead of 2026, the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac.

E

Trial of shooter of ex-Japan PM Abe

Akie Abe (C), widow of assassinated former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, leaves the Nara District Court in Nara on Dec. 3, 2025, after attending for the first time the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, indicted for fatally shooting Abe during an election stump speech in the western Japan city in 2022.

E

Baseball: Hanshin Tigers' victory parade

OSAKA, Japan, Nov. 22 Kyodo - The Hanshin Tigers hold a parade along Osaka's Midosuji street in western Japan on Nov. 22, 2025, to celebrate their Central League baseball title.(Kyodo)

E

Auction of salted herring roe in Osaka

OSAKA, Japan, Nov. 21 Kyodo - The season's first auction of salted herring roe is held at a wholesale market in the western Japan city of Osaka on Nov. 21, 2025. (Kyodo)

E

[Breaking News]Preparations for Kabuki performance in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan, Nov. 26 Kyodo - Preparations are under way for a year-end Kabuki performance in Kyoto, western Japan, on Nov. 26, 2025, with wooden boards with the names of Kabuki actors written in the traditional "kantei-ryu" style of calligraphy -- wishing for a full house -- on display at Minamiza Theater. (Kyodo)

E

Street fundraising by Buddhist monks

Buddhist monks from World Heritage-listed Kinpusenji Temple head out for their annual year-end street fundraising campaign in Yoshino in Nara Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 1, 2025.

E

Nationwide street fundraising by Buddhist monks

A Tendai Buddhist monk from Enryakuji, a temple located on Mt. Hiei in the western Japan city of Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, visits a home in the city to seek donations on Dec. 1, 2025. The annual street fundraising campaign by the Tendai temples across Japan takes place in over 50 locations nationwide, with proceeds to be donated to such organizations as the Japanese Red Cross Society.

E

Nationwide street fundraising by Buddhist monks

Tendai Buddhist monks from Enryakuji, a temple located on Mt. Hiei in the western Japan city of Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, walk around houses in the city to seek donations on Dec. 1, 2025. The annual street fundraising campaign by Tendai temples across Japan takes place in over 50 locations nationwide, with proceeds to be donated to such organizations as the Japanese Red Cross Society.

E

Golf: Casio World Open

Ryuichi Oiwa poses with the trophy after winning the Casio World Open Golf Tournament at Kochi Kuroshio Country Club in Geisei, Kochi Prefecture, western Japan, on Nov. 30, 2025.

E

Golf: Casio World Open

Ryuichi Oiwa reacts after winning the Casio World Open Golf Tournament at Kochi Kuroshio Country Club in Geisei, Kochi Prefecture, western Japan, on Nov. 30, 2025.

E

Golf: Casio World Open

Ryuichi Oiwa of Japan hits a shot on the fifth hole during the final round at the Casio World Open Golf Tournament at Kochi Kuroshio Country Club in Geisei, Kochi Prefecture, western Japan, on Nov. 30, 2025.

E

Golf: Casio World Open

Ryuichi Oiwa poses with the trophy after winning the Casio World Open Golf Tournament at Kochi Kuroshio Country Club in Geisei, Kochi Prefecture, western Japan, on Nov. 30, 2025.

E

Golf: Casio World Open

Ryuichi Oiwa reacts after winning the Casio World Open Golf Tournament at Kochi Kuroshio Country Club in Geisei, Kochi Prefecture, western Japan, on Nov. 30, 2025.

E

Mandarin ducks arrive in Tottori Pref. town

A flock of mandarin ducks are seen on a river in Hino in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on Nov. 15, 2025, after flying in from the north. The river is a popular stopover for the birds in the wintering season, with around 400 having arrived and an additional 400 expected to fly in by the end of March 2026.

E

Mandarin ducks arrive in Tottori Pref. town

A flock of mandarin ducks are seen on a river in Hino in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, on Nov. 15, 2025, after flying in from the north. The river is a popular stopover for the birds in the wintering season, with around 400 having arrived and an additional 400 expected to fly in by the end of March 2026.

E

Preparations for Kabuki performance in Kyoto

Preparations are under way for a year-end Kabuki performance in Kyoto, western Japan, on Nov. 26, 2025, with wooden boards with the names of Kabuki actors written in the traditional "kantei-ryu" style of calligraphy -- wishing for a full house -- on display at Minamiza Theater.

E

Preparations for Kabuki performance in Kyoto

Preparations are under way for a year-end Kabuki performance in Kyoto, western Japan, on Nov. 26, 2025, with wooden boards with the names of Kabuki actors written in the traditional "kantei-ryu" style of calligraphy -- wishing for a full house -- on display at Minamiza Theater.

E

Preparations for Kabuki performance in Kyoto

Preparations are under way for a year-end Kabuki performance in Kyoto, western Japan, on Nov. 26, 2025, with wooden boards with the names of Kabuki actors written in the traditional "kantei-ryu" style of calligraphy -- wishing for a full house -- on display at Minamiza Theater.

E

20 rescued from giant Ferris wheel in Osaka Pref.

Photo taken in the early hours of Nov. 26, 2025, shows a giant Ferris wheel at the Expocity shopping mall and movie multiplex in Suita in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan. About 20 people were rescued from the 123-meter-tall structure in the early hours of Nov. 26, after it stopped moving following a lightning strike in the late afternoon of Nov. 25.

E

20 rescued from giant Ferris wheel in Osaka Pref.

People are wrapped in blankets after firefighters rescued them from a giant Ferris wheel at the Expocity shopping mall and movie multiplex in Suita in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, in the early hours of Nov. 26, 2025. About 20 people were trapped inside the 123-meter-tall structure when it stopped moving in the late afternoon of Nov. 25 following a lightning strike.

E

20 rescued from giant Ferris wheel in Osaka Pref.

A crane carrying a firefighter approaches a giant Ferris wheel gondola to rescue people inside it at the Expocity shopping mall and movie multiplex in Suita in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, in the early hours of Nov. 26, 2025. About 20 people were rescued after the 123-meter-tall structure stopped moving in the late afternoon of Nov. 25 following a lightning strike.

E

Baseball: Hanshin Tigers' victory parade

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter shows the Hanshin Tigers holding a parade along Osaka's Midosuji street in western Japan on Nov. 22, 2025, to celebrate their Central League baseball title.