Shinto believers of Teppozu Inari Shrine run around the shrine to warm up before taking a bath in cold water to purify their souls and bodies during an annual New Year ritual in Tokyo on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks/AFP Photo)





This photo taken on January 12, 2025 and release by Jiji Press on January 17 shows Mongolian-born grand champion Terunofuji (top, C) entering the ring at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo. Terunofuji has decided to retire, the Japan Sumo Association said on January 16, 2025. (Photo by JIJI Press/AFP Photo)





Media members visit the “Catching and Collecting Extinct Forest” area during a press preview at teamLab Planets Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2025. Tokyo-based art collective teamLab unveiled new spaces at teamLab Planets Tokyo before its opening to the public on 22 January 2025. (Photo by Franck Robichon/EPA/EFE)





A woman visits a Taiyaki shop at Togoshi Ginza shopping street in Tokyo on January 23, 2025. Japan is expected to release its year-on-year December inflation data on January 24. (Photo by Philip Fong/AFP Photo)





A scantily clad shrine parishioner throws icy cold water on himself during the annual cold-endurance festival at Kanda Myojin Shinto shrine in Tokyo, Saturday, January 18, 2025, a traditional Japanese way of purifying soul and praying for their health in the new year. (Photo by Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)





This photo taken on January 26, 2025 shows Mongolian sumo wrestler Hoshoryu (C) celebrating after winning fo the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. (Photo by Japan Pool/JIJI Press via AFP Photo)





37-year-old YouTuber Kazuki Nakata looks at his indoor farm at his home in Kawasaki, Japan on January 27, 2025. (Photo by Tom Bateman/Reuters)





An aerial view shows rescue operations underway at a large sinkhole that swallowed a truck at an intersection in Yashio, north of Tokyo, Japan on January 28, 2025, in this photo taken by Kyodo. (Photo by Kyodo News via Reuters)





A woman offers prayers at a temple during the Chinese New Year celebrations in Yokohama Chinatown, near Tokyo, Japan, 29 January 2025. The celebrations of the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, which falls on 29 January 2025, are held in Yokohama Chinatown, Japan's largest Chinatown. (Photo by Franck Robichon/EPA/EFE)





A lion dance is performed in front of a restaurant in Yokohama China Town on January 29, 2025 in Yokohama, Japan. Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, will begin on January 29, 2025, marking the Year of the Snake. The celebrations, which last for approximately 15 days, are filled with traditional activities such as family gatherings, lion dances, and the exchange of red envelopes, making it a vibrant cultural event observed by Chinese communities worldwide. (Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images)





A visitor attends an exhibition that uses cutting-edge technology to bring to life the work of iconic samurai-era ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai at “HOKUSAI: ANOTHER STORY in TOKYO”, technical wizardry from Sony PCL Inc. and Ars Techne Corp, and the woodblock prints provided by the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum that owns the original work, during a preview event in Tokyo, Japan on January 30, 2025. (Photo by Issei Kato/Reuters)





A visitor attends an exhibition that uses cutting-edge technology to bring to life the work of iconic samurai-era ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai at “HOKUSAI: ANOTHER STORY in TOKYO”, technical wizardry from Sony PCL Inc. and Ars Techne Corp, and the woodblock prints provided by the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum that owns the original work, during a preview event in Tokyo, Japan on January 30, 2025. (Photo by Issei Kato/Reuters)





A visitor attends an exhibition that uses cutting-edge technology to bring to life the work of iconic samurai-era ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai at “HOKUSAI: ANOTHER STORY in TOKYO”, technical wizardry from Sony PCL Inc. and Ars Techne Corp, and the woodblock prints provided by the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum that owns the original work, during a preview event in Tokyo, Japan on January 30, 2025. (Photo by Issei Kato/Reuters)





Heavy machinery (C) is used to clear a road as snow falls across northern Japan, in the city of Obihiro, Hokkaido prefecture on February 4, 2025. (Photo by JIJI Press via AFP Photo)





Heavy machinery is used to clear a road as heavy snow falls across northern Japan, in the city of Obihiro, Hokkaido prefecture on February 4, 2025. (Photo by JIJI Press via AFP Photo)





People look at snow sculptures displayed during the 75th Sapporo Snow Festival on February 04, 2025 in Sapporo, Japan. The Sapporo Snow Festival, held annually in early February, is one of Japan's most iconic winter events, attracting over two million visitors to marvel at its stunning snow and ice sculptures across three main venues: Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome. The festival, which began in 1950 with six snow sculptures created by local students, has grown into a global spectacle featuring large-scale snow art, illuminated displays, and various winter activities. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Getty Images)





People pose in front of the “My Melody 50th Anniversary and Kuromi 20th Anniversary” snow sculpture during the 75th Sapporo Snow Festival on February 04, 2025 in Sapporo, Japan. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Getty Images)





Workers touch up a snow sculpture of Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani and his dog Decoy during the 75th Sapporo Snow Festival on February 04, 2025 in Sapporo, Japan. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Getty Images)





People pose for a photo in front of “Otaru’s Ginrinsou” large snow sculpture displayed during the 75th Sapporo Snow Festival on February 04, 2025 in Sapporo, Japan. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Getty Images)





Girls pose for a photo before a snow sculpture on display during the 75th Sapporo Snow Festival on February 04, 2025 in Sapporo, Japan. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Getty Images)