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Japanese Princess Aiko

Japanese Princess Aiko visits the Yamakoshi revitalization and exchange center in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, on Sept. 8, 2025, to view exhibits about the devastation caused by the 2004 Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake. (Pool photo)

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Japanese Princess Aiko

Japanese Princess Aiko visits the Yamakoshi revitalization and exchange center in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, on Sept. 8, 2025, to view exhibits about the devastation caused by the 2004 Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake. (Pool photo)

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Japanese Princess Aiko

Japanese Princess Aiko visits the Yamakoshi revitalization and exchange center in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, on Sept. 8, 2025, to view exhibits about the devastation caused by the 2004 Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake. (Pool photo)

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Japanese Princess Aiko

Japanese Princess Aiko visits the Yamakoshi revitalization and exchange center in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, on Sept. 8, 2025, to view exhibits about the devastation caused by the 2004 Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake. (Pool photo)

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(1)Yamakoshi villagers allowed to visit their houses

YAMAKOSHI VILLAGE, Japan - A villager of Yamakoshi Village in quake-hit central Niigata Prefecture removes snow from the roof of his house on Dec. 28. Villagers who take shelter in makeshift houses in nearby Nagaoka were allowed to visit their damaged houses in the mountain for the second time since the deadly Oct. 23 earthquakes.

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(2)Yamakoshi villagers allowed to visit their houses

YAMAKOSHI VILLAGE, Japan - A villager of Yamakoshi Village in quake-hit central Niigata Prefecture removes snow from the roof of his house on Dec. 28. Villagers who live in makeshift houses in nearby Nagaoka were allowed to visit their damaged houses in the village for the second time since the deadly Oct. 23 earthquakes.

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Volunteers join in making mochi for quake victims

NAGAOKA, Japan - Two villagers from quake-hit Yamakoshi Village in central Niigata Prefecture are joined by volunteers in making mochi (rice cake) near their temporary houses in Nagaoka on Dec. 26. Mochi is one of traditional foods eaten by Japanese on New Year's day.

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Takanohana serves bowls of ''chanko'' to quake victims

NAGAOKA, Japan - Retired yokozuna Takanohana (L) serves bowls of ''chanko'' to residents of quake-hit Yamakoshi Village now taking shelter in temporary-built houses in Nagaoka on Dec. 26. ''Chanko,'' a dish routinely eaten by sumo wrestlers, is made by boiling chicken, fish and vegetables in soup.

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Nagano Gov. Tanaka peps up quake victims

NAGAOKA, Japan - A woman from the quake-hit Village of Yamakoshi, central Niigata Prefecture, is moved to tears as she received a gist from Nagano Governor Yasuo Tanaka in Nagaoka on Dec. 26.

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Balloons floated on 10th anniv. of Chuetsu Earthquake

NAGAOKA, Japan - Mourners fly balloons in the former Yamakoshi village in Niigata Prefecture, northwestern Japan, on Oct. 23, 2014, at a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake that killed 68 people.

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10th anniv. of Chuetsu Earthquake observed

NAGAOKA, Japan - A family looks at candles lit as a memorial to victims of the 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake in the former Yamakoshi village in Niigata Prefecture, northwestern Japan, on Oct. 23, 2014, on the 10th anniversary of the disaster that claimed 68 lives.

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Villager revives hometown bullfighting despite killer quake

NIIGATA, Japan - Haruji Matsui, photographed ahead of the 10th anniversary on Oct. 23, 2014, of a devastating earthquake that hit his hometown Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, is known for his contribution to the post-quake recovery of the village through the revival of local bullfighting after the disaster in the northwestern Japan region.

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China envoy visits post-earthquake reconstruction site in Niigata

NIIGATA, Japan - Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cui Tiankai (3rd from L) visits a construction site in the Yamakoshi district of Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, on June 2 to inspect rebuilding work following a major earthquake which struck the region in October 2004. Cui visited Niigata to attend a China-Japan economic cooperation conference.

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Elementary, junior high schools in ex-Yamakoshi reopened

NAGAOKA, Japan - Elementary and junior high school students of former Yamakoshi village, Niigata Prefecture, which was hit by a deadly earthquake two years ago, return to their newly built school in Nagaoka on Oct. 30.

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Iranian children visit Yamakoshi Village children

NAGAOKA, Japan - Four Iraqi children, themselves victims of a deadly earthquake that hit the ancient Iranian city of Bam in December 2003, pose for photos with children from Yamakoshi Village, Niigata Prefecture, after visiting their shelter in Nagaoka to cheer them up on Dec. 21. Yamakoshi Village remains isolated following the Oct. 23 earthquakes and all villagers take shelter at a school auditorium and other places in Nagaoka.

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(5)Media members visit quake-isolated Yamakoshi village

YAMAKOSHI, Japan - Roads remain closed and houses shattered in the mountain village of Yamakoshi, in Niigata Prefecture, which was hit by the deadly earthquakes on Oct. 23. Members of the media were allowed to visit the isolated village on Dec. 14 for the first time since the disaster.

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(4)Media members visit quake-isolated Yamakoshi village

YAMAKOSHI, Japan - Roads in the village of Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, bear the scars left by the deadly earthquakes that jolted the central region of the prefecture on Oct. 23. Members of the media were allowed to visit the deserted mountain village on Dec. 14 for the first time since the disaster.

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(3)Media members visit quake-isolated Yamakoshi village

YAMAKOSHI, Japan - Pillars and furniture remain tilted in difference ways in a house in the village of Yamakoshi in central Niigata Prefecture, which was heavily damaged by the Oct. 23 eqarthquakes. Members of the media were allowed to visit the isolated mountain village on Dec. 14 for the first time since the disaster.

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(2)Media members visit quake-isolated Yamakoshi village

YAMAKOSHI, Japan - Many houses in the mountain village of Yamakoshi in central Niigata Prefecture remain submerged in a pond formed by a river blocked by landslides during the Oct. 23 earthquakes. Members of the media were allowed to visit the village on Dec. 14 for the first time since the disaster.

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(1)Media members visit quake-isolated Yamakoshi village

YAMAKOSHI, Japan - Many houses remain submerged in the mountain village of Yamakoshi in central Niigata Prefecture which devastated by the severe earthquakes on Oct. 23. Members of the media were allowed to visit the deserted village on Dec. 14 for the first time since the disaster.

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(3)Niigata seen after Oct. 23 earthquake

YAMAKOSHI, Japan - Houses in Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, remain under water Nov. 22, one month after the strong earthquakes in Niigata Prefecture on Oct. 23, due to quake-induced landslides that contained the flow of a river.

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Children in quake-hit Yamakoshi invited to soccer match

NIIGATA, Japan - Children from quake-hit Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, rejoice after being invited to a J-League soccer match in Niigata between Albirex Niigata and FC Tokyo. They were presented with scarves.

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(2)Yamakoshi village children inspect quake damage from helicopter

NAGAOKA, Japan - A children from the isolated mountain village of Yamakoshi in central Niigata Prefecture alights from a Self-Defense Forces helicopter on Nov. 14 after inspecting damage damage caused to the village by a series of earthquakes that devastated the central part of the prefecture on Oct. 23.

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(3)Yamakoshi village children inspect quake damage from helicopter

NAGAOKA, Japan - A children from the isolated mountain village of Yamakoshi in central Niigata Prefecture goes on board a Self-Defense Forces helicopter on Nov. 14 to look at damage caused to the village by a series of earthquakes that devastated the central part of the prefecture on Oct. 23.

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(1)Yamakoshi village children inspect quake damage from helicopter

NAGAOKA, Japan - Children from the isolated mountain village of Yamakoshi in central Niigata Prefecture go on board a Self-Defense Forces helicopter on Nov. 14 to inspect damage caused to their community by a series of earthquakes. All the villagers have been evacuated since the quakes caused landslides and flooding there.

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(3)Rehabilitation slow in isolated Niigata village

YAMAKOSHI, Japan - Houses in the isolated mountain village of Yamakoshi in central Niigata Prefecture remains shattered on Nov. 13, more than two weeks after the deadly earthquakes that rocked wide areas of the prefecture on Oct. 23.

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(1)Rehabilitation slow in isolated Niigata village

YAMAKOSHI, Japan - Houses in the isolated mountain village of Yamakoshi in central Niigata Prefecture stand submerged on Nov. 13 as the water level of a lake formed by quake-triggered landslides rises following rainfall.

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(2)Rehabilitation slow in isolated Niigata village

YAMAKOSHI, Japan - A road to the isolated mountain village of Yamakoshi in central Niigata Prefecture remains damaged on Nov. 13, more than two weeks after the deadly earthquakes that rocked wide areas of the prefecture on Oct. 23.

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(1)Scenes from quake-hit Niigata Pref.

YAMAKOSHI, Japan - Houses in the mountain village of Yamakoshi stand inundated Nov. 2 with water flowing from a river blocked by landslides caused by the severe earthquakes that rocked central Niigata Prefecture. An earthquake measuring a preliminary magnitude of 3.9 rattled communities in the prefecture shortly after midnight Nov. 1.

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(8)Evacuees allowed to return to their isolated village

YAMAKOSHI VILLAGE, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter in Yamakoshi Village on Oct. 29 shows a dam formed when a river was blocked by massive landslides caused by earthquakes that rocked wide areas of central Niigata Prefecture on Oct. 23.

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(7)Evacuees allowed to return to their isolated village

YAMAKOSHI VILLAGE, Japan - Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Oct. 29 shows cracks left on the paddy in Yamakoshi Village by a series of severe earthquakes that rocked wide areas of central Niigata on Oct. 23.

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(6)Evacuees allowed to return to their isolated village

YAMAKOSHI VILLAGE, Japan - Houses and roads remain heavily damaged in the mountain village of Yamakoshi in central Niigata on Oct. 29. Evacuated residents were allowed to return to the isolated village to check their houses and personal belongings for the first time in a week.

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(5)Evacuees allowed to return to their isolated village

YAMAKOSHI VILLAGE, Japan - A resident of Yamakoshi Village in Niigata Prefecture walks along on a damaged road on Oct. 29 after returning home temporarily for the first time in a week to check her house and personal belongings

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(1)Evacuees allowed to return to isolated village

YAMAKOSHI VILLAGE, Japan - Residents evacuated from Yamakoshi Village in Niigata Prefecture are flown back to the isolated village in a Self-Defense Forces helicopter on Oct. 29. They were allowed to return to the village temporarily for the first time in a week to check their damaged houses and personal belongings.

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(8)Girl buried in Niigata quake found dead, death toll rises to 34

YAMAKOSHI VILLAGE, Japan - Cows stray about unattended in the mountain village of Yamakoshi in Niigata Prefecture on Oct. 28. Most of the villagers have been evacuated since severe earthquakes devastated much of the village on Oct. 23.

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(5)Girl buried in Niigata quake found dead, death toll rises to 34

YAMAKOSHI VILLAGE, Japan - Houses in the mountain village of Yamakoshi stand inundated on Oct. 28 after a nearby river was blocked by landslides caused by the series of severe earthquakes that hit wide areas of central Niigata Prefecture on Oct. 23.

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(3)Koizumi visits quake-hit Niigata, hints at bonds for relief

NAGAOKA, Japan - Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi peps up school children from the earthquake-hit Yamakoshi Village during his brief inspection tour of Niigata Prefecture on Oct. 26.

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(10)Strong quakes hit Niigata Pref.

NIIGATA, Japan - Residents of the village of Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, displaced by powerful earthquakes, head for Nagaoka city in the prefecture on board a Self-Defense Forces rescue helicopter Oct. 25. Niigata was hit hard by the earthquakes Oct. 23.

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(7)Strong quakes hit Niigata Pref.

NAGAOKA, Japan - Residents in the village of Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, line up during rescue operations by a Self-Defense Forces helicopter Oct. 25. The prefecture was hit hard by powerful earthquakes Oct. 23.

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(16)Powerful quakes hit northern Japan along Sea of Japan

NIIGATA, Japan - Trucks are seen on the verge of sliding away on Oct. 24 after a parking lot in Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, collapsed in strong earthquakes that rocked northern Japan along the Sea of Japan coast Oct. 23.

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(3)Powerful quakes hit northern Japan along the Sea of Japan

NIIGATA, Japan - A huge landslide occurs near houses in Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, due to a series of powerful earthquakes that hit northern Japan along the Sea of Japan coast Oct. 23.

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(4)Powerful quakes hit northern Japan along the Sea of Japan

NIIGATA, Japan - A house in Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, falls after a series of powerful earthquakes that rocked northern Japan along the Sea of Japan coast Oct. 23.

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(3)Powerful quakes hit northern Japan along the Sea of Japan

NIIGATA, Japan - A huge landslide occurs near houses in Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, due to a series of powerful earthquakes that hit northern Japan along the Sea of Japan coast Oct. 23. (Kyodo)

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(15)Powerful quakes hit northern Japan along Sea of Japan

NAGAOKA, Japan - Quake victims in Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, are evacuated to Nagaoka on board a Self-Defense Forces helicopter Oct. 24. Both Nagaoka and Yamakochi were rocked by a series of strong earthquakes Oct. 23. (Kyodo)

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(7)Strong quakes hit Niigata Pref.

NAGAOKA, Japan - Residents in the village of Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, line up during rescue operations by a Self-Defense Forces helicopter Oct. 25. The prefecture was hit hard by powerful earthquakes Oct. 23. (Kyodo)

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Children in quake-hit Yamakoshi invited to soccer match

NIIGATA, Japan - Children from quake-hit Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, rejoice after being invited to a J-League soccer match in Niigata between Albirex Niigata and FC Tokyo. They were presented with scarves. (Kyodo)

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China envoy visits post-earthquake reconstruction site in Niigata

NIIGATA, Japan - Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cui Tiankai (3rd from L) visits a construction site in the Yamakoshi district of Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, on June 2 to inspect rebuilding work following a major earthquake which struck the region in October 2004. Cui visited Niigata to attend a China-Japan economic cooperation conference. (Kyodo)

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(4)Powerful quakes hit northern Japan along the Sea of Japan

NIIGATA, Japan - A house in Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, falls after a series of powerful earthquakes that rocked northern Japan along the Sea of Japan coast Oct. 23. (Kyodo)

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(16)Powerful quakes hit northern Japan along Sea of Japan

NIIGATA, Japan - Trucks are seen on the verge of sliding away on Oct. 24 after a parking lot in Yamakoshi, Niigata Prefecture, collapsed in strong earthquakes that rocked northern Japan along the Sea of Japan coast Oct. 23. (Kyodo)

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Japan's major business lobby reopens U.S office to boost ties

Atsushi Yamakoshi, head of the Washington office of the Japan Business Federation, Japan's most influential business lobby, makes an address on Nov. 4, 2015, during the ceremony marking the office's reopening in the U.S. capital after a hiatus of more than six years. Yamakoshi pledged to work to prove that the move will help strengthen bilateral economic relations. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo