Indonesian mahouts (elephant masters) bathe elephants prior to a daily patrol at a Conservation Respons Unite (CRU) to control elephant-human conflicts in Serbajadi, East Aceh on April 7, 2016. Elephants have joined the front line in the fight against poaching and illegal logging in the dense jungles of Sumatra. Guided by their Indonesian mahouts, they trek alongside rivers, over rough terrain and deep into the rainforest in an area that is home to numerous endangered species, from orangutans to tigers, but which has suffered devastating deforestation in recent years. (Photo by AFP Photo/Januar)

South African maidens wrap themselves in blankets as they head to a ritual bath in a local river on September 5, 2014 at the eNyokeni Royal Palace in Nongoma in the KwaZulu-Natal region ahead of the 13th anniversary of the Reed Dance (uMkhosi woMhlanga) celebrated by the Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithin. As part of the ceremony, the young women dance bare-breasted for the king, each carrying a long reed, deposited later as they approach the King and is a cultural celebration that promotes respect for young women, and preserves the custom of keeping girls as virgins until marriage. (Photo by Marco Longari/AFP Photo)

Irwan bathes a domesticated crocodile at his house in Bogor, Indonesia on January 22, 2018. Irwan found it as a baby and now it has been living with Irwans family for 20 years. Indonesia is known as a hotbed of exotic pet domestication and trade. People have been known to keep endangered animals such as slow lorises, eagles and pangolins, angering conservationists and animal rights activists. (Photo by Eko Siswono Toyudho/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Foreign tourists who visited the “Boryeong Mud Festival” venue in Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do on the July 19th, 2024 are having fun rolling around in a mud bath. The 27th Boryeong Mud Festival this year will be held until the 4th of next month. Last year, more than 1.6 million tourists visited the festival. (Phoot by Shin Hyeon-jong)

Amezaiku is the Japanese craft of lollipop-making, which dates back to the 700s when artisans made mouth-watering and artistic lollipops to be presented as gifts. Carrying on the tradition is 26-year old Shinri Tezuka, the owner of a small shop in the Asakusa district of Tokyo called Ameshin.

Ribbonesia is a modern ribbon company created by Japanese artist Baku Maeda. The word “ribbon” and ‘modern’ is an understatement when describing Ribbonesia because these are more like life-size modern sculptures made with satin and silk. I wouldn’t be shocked if he starts creating apparel in the near future.

In this Thursday, March 28, 2019, photo, a “golden giant burger” is served at a restaurant of Hotel Grand Hyatt Tokyo in Tokyo. The $900 wagyu (Japanese-produced beef) burger was unveiled to commemorate the era change. What’s in a name? Quite a lot if you’re a Japanese citizen awaiting the official announcement Monday, April 1, 2019 of what the soon-to-be-installed new emperor’s next era will be called. It’s a proclamation that has happened only twice in nearly a century, and the new name will follow Emperor Naruhito, after his May 1 investiture, for the duration of his rule, attaching itself to much of what happens in Japan. (Photo by Kyodo News via AP Photo)

A statue of a Japanese Akita dog named “Hachiko” wearing a face mask is seen near Shibuya Station Wednesday, April 8, 2020, in Tokyo. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency on Tuesday for Tokyo and six other prefectures to ramp up defenses against the spread of the new coronavirus. Hachiko has waited for his owner University of Tokyo Prof. Eizaburo Ueno at the same place by the station every afternoon, expecting him to return home for nearly 11 years even after Ueno's death at work. (Photo by Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)