Square watermelon

Square watermelon

Cube-shaped watermelons are prepared for shipment in Zentsuji, Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, on June 30, 2026.

Square watermelon

Square watermelon

Cube-shaped watermelons are prepared for shipment in Zentsuji, Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, on June 30, 2026.

Square watermelon

Square watermelon

A cube-shaped watermelon is put into a corrugated-paper box for shipment in Zentsuji, Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, on June 30, 2026.

Square watermelon

Square watermelon

A cube-shaped watermelon is put into a corrugated-paper box for shipment in Zentsuji, Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, on June 30, 2026.

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Park Hyun Kyung of South Korea is showered with celebratory tape after winning the Earth Mondamin Cup golf tournament at Camellia Hills Country Club in Sodegaura in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, on June 29, 2026.

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Park Hyun Kyung of South Korea is showered with celebratory tape after winning the Earth Mondamin Cup golf tournament at Camellia Hills Country Club in Sodegaura in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, on June 29, 2026.

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Park Hyun Kyung of South Korea hits off the second tee during the final round of the Earth Mondamin Cup golf tournament at Camellia Hills Country Club in Sodegaura, Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, on June 29, 2026.

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Park Hyun Kyung of South Korea celebrates with the victor's trophy after winning the Earth Mondamin Cup golf tournament at Camellia Hills Country Club in Sodegaura in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, on June 29, 2026.

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Park Hyun Kyung of South Korea reacts after winning the Earth Mondamin Cup golf tournament at Camellia Hills Country Club in Sodegaura, Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, on June 29, 2026.

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Park Hyun Kyung of South Korea poses for photos with the victor's trophy after winning the Earth Mondamin Cup golf tournament at Camellia Hills Country Club in Sodegaura in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, on June 29, 2026.

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Golf: Earth Mondamin Cup

Park Hyun Kyung of South Korea hits off the 17th tee during the final round of the Earth Mondamin Cup golf tournament at Camellia Hills Country Club in Sodegaura in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, on June 29, 2026.

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

HACHINOHE, Japan, June 25 Kyodo - Video taken from a Kyodo News plane on June 25, 2026, shows a damaged exterior wall of a building in Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture, after a preliminary magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit northeastern Japan. (Kyodo)

Imperial succession

Imperial succession

Hirofumi Nakasone, head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's constitutional reform headquarters, delivers a speech in Takaoka in Toyama Prefecture, central Japan, on June 28, 2026, saying Princess Aiko cannot become emperor under Japan's current succession law.

Minister visits fatal boat accident site in Okinawa

Minister visits fatal boat accident site in Okinawa

Hitoshi Kikawada, Japanese minister for Okinawa and Northern Territories affairs, observes a moment of silence at a beach in Nago in the southern Japan island prefecture of Okinawa on June 28, 2026, about three month after two boats carrying a total of 18 high school students on a peace education tour capsized off the city, leaving one student and the skipper of one of the two boats dead.

Minister visits fatal boat accident site in Okinawa

Minister visits fatal boat accident site in Okinawa

Hitoshi Kikawada, Japanese minister for Okinawa and Northern Territories affairs, offers flowers at a beach in Nago in the southern Japan island prefecture of Okinawa on June 28, 2026, about three month after two boats carrying a total of 18 high school students on a peace education tour capsized off the city, leaving one student and the skipper of one of the two boats dead.

Japan-U.S. joint firing drill

Japan-U.S. joint firing drill

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Marine Corps conduct a joint firing exercise on June 28, 2026, at the GSDF's Hijudai training range located across Kusu and surrounding areas in Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan. About 400 GSDF and Marine Corps personnel took part in the exercise, part of the Resolute Dragon joint defense drill, designed to strengthen capabilities to defense remote islands.

Japan-U.S. joint firing drill

Japan-U.S. joint firing drill

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Marine Corps conduct a joint firing exercise on June 28, 2026, at the GSDF's Hijudai training range located across Kusu and surrounding areas in Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan. About 400 GSDF and Marine Corps personnel took part in the exercise, part of the Resolute Dragon joint defense drill, designed to strengthen capabilities to defense remote islands.

Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over quake-hit Wajima

Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over quake-hit Wajima

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, on June 28, 2026, to cheer up people affected by the massive 2024 earthquake and heavy rain that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas, still under reconstruction.

Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over quake-hit Wajima

Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over quake-hit Wajima

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, on June 28, 2026, to cheer up people affected by the massive 2024 earthquake and heavy rain that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas, still under reconstruction.

Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over quake-hit Wajima

Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over quake-hit Wajima

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, on June 28, 2026, to cheer up people affected by the massive 2024 earthquake and heavy rain that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas, still under reconstruction.

Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over quake-hit Wajima

Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over quake-hit Wajima

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, on June 28, 2026, to cheer up people affected by the massive 2024 earthquake and heavy rain that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas, still under reconstruction.

Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over quake-hit Wajima

Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over quake-hit Wajima

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Blue Impulse aerobatic team flies over Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, on June 28, 2026, to cheer up people affected by the massive 2024 earthquake and heavy rain that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas, still under reconstruction.

2 typhoons pass along Japan's Pacific coast

2 typhoons pass along Japan's Pacific coast

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on June 27, 2026, shows the site of a landslide in Hirao in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, after two typhoons brought downpours to wide areas while passing along the country's Pacific coast. A man in his 70s was killed and three others injured at the site.

2 typhoons pass along Japan's Pacific coast

2 typhoons pass along Japan's Pacific coast

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on June 27, 2026, shows the site of a landslide in Hirao in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, after two typhoons brought downpours to wide areas while passing along the country's Pacific coast. A man in his 70s was killed and three others injured at the site.

2 typhoons pass along Japan's Pacific coast

2 typhoons pass along Japan's Pacific coast

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on June 27, 2026, shows the site of a landslide in Hirao in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, after two typhoons brought downpours to wide areas while passing along the country's Pacific coast. A man in his 70s was killed and three others injured at the site.

2 typhoons pass along Japan's Pacific coast

2 typhoons pass along Japan's Pacific coast

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on June 27, 2026, shows the site of a landslide in Hirao in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, after two typhoons brought downpours to wide areas while passing along the country's Pacific coast. A man in his 70s was killed and three others injured at the site.

2 typhoons pass along Japan's Pacific coast

2 typhoons pass along Japan's Pacific coast

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on June 27, 2026, shows the site of a landslide in Hirao in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, after two typhoons brought downpours to wide areas while passing along the country's Pacific coast. A man in his 70s was killed and three others injured at the site.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Debris from the collapsed wall of a building is scattered on a street in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, on June 26, 2026, after a magnitude-5.6 earthquake jolted the central Japan city west of Tokyo.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Police officers remove debris from the collapsed wall of a building in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, on June 26, 2026, after a magnitude-5.6 earthquake jolted the central Japan city west of Tokyo.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Police officers remove debris from the collapsed wall of a building in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, on June 26, 2026, after a magnitude-5.6 earthquake jolted the central Japan city west of Tokyo.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Debris from the collapsed wall of a building is scattered on a street in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, on June 26, 2026, after a magnitude-5.6 earthquake jolted the central Japan city west of Tokyo.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Debris from the collapsed wall of a building is scattered on a street in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, on June 26, 2026, after a magnitude-5.6 earthquake jolted the central Japan city west of Tokyo.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets the press at her office in Tokyo on June 26, 2026, after a magnitude-5.6 earthquake jolted Yamanashi Prefecture, central Japan.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Strong earthquake in Yamanashi Pref.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets the press at her office in Tokyo on June 26, 2026, after a magnitude-5.6 earthquake jolted Yamanashi Prefecture, central Japan.

Japan: M5.6 Quake Hits Eastern Yamanashi Near Mt. Fuji, No Link to Volcanic Activity

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck eastern Yamanashi, near Mt. Fuji in Japan, on Friday, June 26, at 10:28 p.m. local time. The quake was felt across a wide area of the country, including Tokyo, and was not related to volcanic activity at Mt. Fuji, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Japan: Flooding Hits Kinki Region Amid Seasonal Rain Front and Typhoon Mekkhala’s Approach 4

Heavy rain and flooding struck parts of Japan on Friday, June 26, as Typhoon Mekkhala approached the country alongside a stagnant seasonal rain front. Flooded roads, stranded vehicles, landslides, and road collapses were reported across the Kinki region, including Osaka and Kyoto, with the Japan Meteorological Agency issuing weather alerts and evacuation orders for some regions. The video shows sections of road washed away by fast-moving floodwater in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto.

Japan: Flooding Hits Kinki Region Amid Seasonal Rain Front and Typhoon Mekkhala’s Approach 3

Heavy rain and flooding struck parts of Japan on Friday, June 26, as Typhoon Mekkhala approached the country alongside a stagnant seasonal rain front. Flooded roads, stranded vehicles, landslides, and road collapses were reported across the Kinki region, including Osaka and Kyoto, with the Japan Meteorological Agency issuing weather alerts and evacuation orders for some regions.

Water release at central Japan dam

Water release at central Japan dam

Annual water release begins at Kurobe Dam, a popular tourist spot surrounded by the Northern Alps, in the Toyama Prefecture town of Tateyama, central Japan, on June 26, 2026.

Water release at central Japan dam

Water release at central Japan dam

Annual water release begins at Kurobe Dam, a popular tourist spot surrounded by the Northern Alps, in the Toyama Prefecture town of Tateyama, central Japan, on June 26, 2026.

Water release at central Japan dam

Water release at central Japan dam

Annual water release begins at Kurobe Dam, a popular tourist spot surrounded by the Northern Alps, in the Toyama Prefecture town of Tateyama, central Japan, on June 26, 2026.

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Ceiling boards are seen damaged at an office building in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, on June 25, 2026, after a preliminary magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit northeastern Japan.

Japan: Flooding Hits Kinki Region Amid Seasonal Rain Front and Typhoon Mekkhala’s Approach 2

Heavy rain and flooding struck parts of Japan on Friday, June 26, as Typhoon Mekkhala approached the country alongside a stagnant seasonal rain front. Flooded roads, stranded vehicles, landslides, and road collapses were reported across the Kinki region, including Osaka and Kyoto, with the Japan Meteorological Agency issuing weather alerts and evacuation orders for some regions.

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

A damaged automatic door of a supermarket is seen in Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture on June 25, 2026, after a preliminary magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit northeastern Japan.

Japan-U.S. joint defense drill

Japan-U.S. joint defense drill

Colonel Richard Neikirk, commanding officer of the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment of the U.S. Marine Corps, attends joint exercise Resolute Dragon designed to strengthen capabilities to defend remote islands at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Hijudai training range located across Kusu and surrounding areas in Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on June 25, 2026.

Japan-U.S. joint defense drill

Japan-U.S. joint defense drill

Colonel Richard Neikirk, commanding officer of the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment of the U.S. Marine Corps, attends joint exercise Resolute Dragon designed to strengthen capabilities to defend remote islands at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Hijudai training range located across Kusu and surrounding areas in Oita Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on June 25, 2026.

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News plane on June 25, 2026, shows a damaged exterior wall of a building in Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture, after a preliminary magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit northeastern Japan.

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Debris from a building's exterior wall is scattered across a parking lot in Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture, on June 25, 2026, after a preliminary magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit northeastern Japan.

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Photo taken on June 25, 2026, shows a damaged exterior wall of a building in Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture, after a preliminary magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit northeastern Japan.

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News plane on June 25, 2026, shows a damaged exterior wall of a building in Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture, after a preliminary magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit northeastern Japan.

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Powerful earthquake hits northeastern Japan

Photo taken on June 25, 2026, shows a damaged exterior wall of a building in Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture, after a preliminary magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit northeastern Japan.