“Touring the Koko-en Gardens adjacent to the Himeji castle was an unexpected highlight of our visit”, wrote Jeff Solar, 64, of Silver Spring, Md., about his trip to Japan. “The fall colors were outstanding and the gardens were both amazing and a bargain (just a few Yen added to the cost of the Himeji Castle admission)”. (Photo by Jeff Solar/2017 Washington Post Travel Photo Contest)

A Japanese artist is making a name for himself by creating animal sculptures out of balloons. Masayoshi Matsumoto, 29, has thus far created a wide range of intricate figures from the animal kingdom. Here: Blobfish by Masayoshi Matsumoto. (Photo by Masayoshi Matsumoto/Caters News Agency)

A giant storm cloud can be seen in the sky above swimmers near Mollymook Beach, south of Sydney, March 5, 2014. (Photo by David Gray/Reuters)

A huge colony of Pacific Walrus on Arakamchechen Island in the Northern Bering Sea. (Photo by Francois Gohier/Ardea/Caters News)

Members of the “Exit Point” amateur rope-jumping group jump from a 44-metre high (144-ft) waterpipe bridge in the Siberian Taiga area outside Krasnoyarsk, September 13, 2015. Rope-jumping, an extreme sport, involves jumping from a high point using an advanced leverage system combining mountaineering and rope safety equipment. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

American singer Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, known professionally as Halsey arrives at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on March 22, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)

American singer-songwriter Maggie Lindemann poses on the red carpet at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Californian, U.S., March 22, 2022. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

American Song Contest winner, American singer, dancer and actress based in South Korea AleXa arrives to the 2022 Billboard Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 15, 2022. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Reuters)