A Maiko, a traditional Japanese dancer, walks in the snow in Gion, Kyoto's famous geisha district, January 7, 2006 in Kyoto, Japan. The ancient city Kyoto attracts the largest number of visitors in Japan and has been increasing every year. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)

Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys, play as they soak in a hot spring in Jigokudani valley in Nagano Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo Saturday, March 6, 2021. (Photo by Kiichiro Sato/AP Photo)

For her series “Japanese Whispers”, Belgian photographer Zaza Bertrand headed inside the intimate world of rabuhos – Japanese love hotels. Love hotels became popular in Japan from the 1960s onwards, due to a lack of privacy in many family homes. There are now around 37,000 of these hotels in Japan, allowing short daytime “rests” or overnight stays. (Photo by Zaza Bertrand/The Guardian)

Japanese Macaque monkeys soak in the warmth of mountain hotsprings at Jigokudani Monkey Park, in Yamanouchi, central Japan, 19 January 2014. The Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata), also referred to as Snow Monkeys, live freely in this area that is covered by snow one third of the year. Jigokudani is the only known place in the world where monkeys bathe in natural hot springs. As a habit, they come down from the mountains where they spend the night and bath during the day. (Photo by Kimimasa Mayama/EPA)

A Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force Type 92 Mine sweeping vehicle fires a rocket behind a Type 74 armoured tank during an annual training session, which is based on a scenario to defend or retake islands in Japanese territory, near Mount Fuji at Higashifuji training field in Gotemba, west of Tokyo, August 18, 2015. (Photo by Yuya Shino/Reuters)

Japanese hairdresser Megumi Takeichi cuts patterns into the hair of a camel ahead of the Bikaner Camel Festival in Bikaner in the western Indian state of Rajasthan on January 10, 2019. (Photo by Dinesh Gupta/AFP Photo)

Japanese artist Sachi shows off her creation of a realistic 3D cat portrait, made by using felted wool, at her house in Sagamihara, Japan, January 21, 2022. (Photo by Akira Tomoshige/Reuters)

A visitor poses for a photograph in front of a 3D painting depicting a Japanese Imperial army soldier at a 3D art gallery in Beijing January 16, 2015. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)