This photo taken on January 7, 2023 shows performers taking part in the dress rehearsal for the “PET Bottle Labyrinth”, one half of an innovative two-part performance by the K-BALLET dance company entitled “Plastic” to highlight the issue of plastic pollution, at the Kanagawa Arts Theatre in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. “Plastic”, a new production by renowned Japanese company K-BALLET, aims to draw attention to a global pollution crisis through some unusual set and wardrobe design. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks/AFP Photo)





This photo taken on January 7, 2023 shows performers taking part in the dress rehearsal for the “PET Bottle Labyrinth”, one half of an innovative two-part performance by the K-BALLET dance company entitled “Plastic” to highlight the issue of plastic pollution, at the Kanagawa Arts Theatre in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks/AFP Photo)





This photo taken on January 7, 2023 shows performers taking part in the dress rehearsal for the “PET Bottle Labyrinth”, one half of an innovative two-part performance by the K-BALLET dance company entitled “Plastic” to highlight the issue of plastic pollution, at the Kanagawa Arts Theatre in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks/AFP Photo)





A group of tourists from Singapore in Japan's traditional kimono attire buy fortune paper as one of them takes a selfie at Sensoji Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Friday, January 13, 2023. (Photo by Hiro Komae/AP Photo)





A half-naked shrine parishioner douses himself with cold water during a cold-endurance ritual at the Kanda Myojin Shinto shrine in Tokyo, Saturday, January 14, 2023. Pouring cold water on their bodies is believed to be purifying their souls. The ritual was part of a two-day Shinto festival. (Photo by Hiro Komae/AP Photo)





Half-naked shrine parishioners douse themselves with cold water during a cold-endurance ritual at the Kanda Myojin Shinto shrine in Tokyo, Saturday, January 14, 2023. Pouring cold water on their bodies is believed to be purifying their souls. The ritual was part of a two-day Shinto festival. (Photo by Hiro Komae/AP Photo)





People walk underneath lanterns in the Chinatown section of Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo, on January 15, 2023 ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit. (Photo by Philip Fong/AFP Photo)





This general view shows the “Gassho-Zukuri” village houses lit up in the snow-covered Shirakawa-go in Gifu prefecture, central Japan on January 15, 2023. (Photo by JIJI Press via AFP Photo)





People pray for the victims of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in front of the candle-lit bamboo lanterns, marking the 28th anniversary at Higashi Yuenchi Park on January 17, 2023 in Kobe, Japan. This western Japanese city marked the anniversary of the magnitude 7.3 quake that claimed 6,434 lives after memorials were scaled back in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)





This overhead view shows people taking part in memorial services to mark the 28th anniversary of the “Great Hanshin Earthquake” which devastated the city of Kobe, at Higashi Yuenchi Park in Kobe, Hyogo prefecture on January 17, 2023. (Photo by JIJI Press via AFP Photo)





An actor dressed as the Walt Disney character Minnie Mouse performs during a press preview for the “Minnie Besties Bash!” parade at Tokyo DisneySea on January 17, 2023 in Urayasu, Japan. The special event is held for 73 days from January 18 to March 31. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)





Onosho (L) and Tamawashi (R) compete on day twelve of the Grand Sumo New Year Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan on January 19, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)





People visit Zojoji temple as Tokyo Tower is lit in red to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year in Tokyo on January 21, 2023. (Photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP Photo)





People look out of the window on a train in Tokyo on January 24, 2023. (Photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP Photo)





Japanese monkeys snuggle to keep warm at a zoo in Tonosho in Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan on January 24, 2023. (Photo by Kyodo Photo via Newscom/Alamy Live News)





The grounds of Kinkakuji temple – the Golden Pavilion – are covered with snow in Kyoto on January 25, 2023, after heavy snow and strong winds overnight affected wide areas of the country. (Photo by JIJI Press/AFP Photo)





A person shovels the snow in front of a shrine Wednesday January 25, 2023 in Tottori, Tottori Prefecture, western Japan. Snow and cold weather were affecting much of Japan on Wednesday, disrupting highway, air and train travel, and more snow and cold temperatures were forecast. (Photo by Kyodo News via AP Photo)





A train stops due to a power outage at Nishioji Station in Kyoto, western Japan Wednesday, January 25, 2023. (Photo by Kyodo News via AP Photo)





An H2A rocket lifts off from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima, southern Japan Thursday, January 26, 2023. Japan on Thursday successfully launched the rocket carrying a government intelligence-gathering satellite on a mission to watch movements at military sites in North Korea and to improve natural disaster response as part of Tokyo's effort to buildup its military capability citing growing threat in the East Asia. (Photo by Kyodo News via AP Photo)





Yuki Okoshi, owner of Japanese restaurant “Kujira no Ibukuro” shows whale meat in Shimbashi, Friday, January 27, 2023, in Tokyo. The Japanese “izakaya” style seafood restaurant started serving whale meat dishes three years ago when higher quality whale meat became available under commercial whaling. (Photo by Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)