A winter purification ritual takes place at a river near a Shinto shrine in southwestern Japan.

Geishas in Kyoto prepare for the New Year by visiting their dance masters for greetings.

The kanji of the year for 2023 goes to a character that is commonly read as "zei" in Japanese and means "tax."

The Japanese government tests the use of robot technology to check and restore infrastructure in remote areas.

ANA Holdings launches a smartphone application for virtual travel to more than 60 destinations in Japan and abroad.

A stalk of green onion is found growing on a paved road in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan.

Hikonyan, an official cat mascot of the city of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, helps pound mochi at Hikone Castle to prepar...

Odakyu Electric Railway's white Romancecar train retires after 18 years of service mainly between Tokyo and the Hakone h...

A Buddhist temple in Kyoto offers radish soup to visitors, a tradition that has continued for more than 700 years.

A road sign in northern Japan is fixed after having a humorously wrong English translation on it for more than 30 years.