Visitors take photographs of maple trees at Yoyogi Park, in Tokyo, Monday, December 1, 2025. (Photo by Louise Delmotte/AP Photo)




Maiko from the Gion Kobu district visit the annual Kaomise performance on December 2, 2025 in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, Japan. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)




Kawasaki Heavy Industries' Robust Humanoid Platform Kaleido 9 throws a garbage bag in the trash can during its demonstration on the first day of the International Robot Exhibition 2025 at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo, Japan pn December 3, 2025. (Photo by Manami Yamada/Reuters)




Chinese-made Unitree G1 humanoid robots demonstrate their boxing ability in front of a crowd at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo on December 3, 2025. (Photo by Greg Baker/AFP Photo)




A security worker walks in a ray of light at the Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo on December 4, 2025. (Photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP Photo)




A woman walks past a construction site outside a train station in Tokyo on December 7, 2025. (Photo by Greg Baker/AFP Photo)




Colorful lantern lights projected onto the ground and other surfaces on December 7, 2025 in Agui, Aichi, Japan. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)




A man clears snow from cars in Chitose, in Japan's northern Hokkaido prefecture on December 8, 2025. (Photo by Greg Baker/AFP Photo)




A collapsed road is pictured in Tohoku in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on December 9, 2025, following a strong earthquake the previous night. (Photo by KYODO News/Reuters)




Firefighters descend using ropes during a rescue drill at Ushiku Daibutsu on December 10, 2025 in Ushiku, Ibaraki, Japan. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)




People walk through Ginza’s shopping district in Tokyo, Japan, 15 December 2025. Japan’s economic focus is on the upcoming Bank of Japan (BOJ) meeting where the central bank is expected to raise its policy rate to combat inflation. The BOJ signaled a rate hike bar is cleared with the wage momentum still intact. (Photo by Franck Robichon/EPA)




The annual “soot cleaning” ritual takes place at the Naritasan Sendai Branch Temple on December 18, 2025 in Aoba Ward, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)




Curators clean a full-body replica of a Tyrannosaurus skeleton on December 18, 2025 in Oiwa Town, Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)




A couple walks past a Christmas tree decorated with LED lamps at Umeda Sky Building during the Christmas shopping season on December 18, 2025 in Osaka, Japan. Christmas has become a popular and busy shopping season over the past few decades. Many shops and shopping malls are decorated with seasonal greetings and offer special discounts to customers. Colorful illuminations and seasonal decorations adorn various areas of Osaka, creating a festive atmosphere. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)




Shoppers walk past a Christmas tree during the Christmas shopping season on December 18, 2025 in Osaka, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)




Holiday ornaments frame a view of shoppers browsing at the Christmas market during the Christmas shopping season at Umeda Sky Building on December 18, 2025 in Osaka, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)




Shoppers walk past the holiday decorations during the Christmas shopping season on December 18, 2025 in Osaka, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)




A woman walks past the holiday decorations during the Christmas shopping season on December 18, 2025 in Osaka, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)