A man, wearing a protective mask following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), walks in Tokyo, Japan on March 17, 2020. (Photo by Edgard Garrido/Reuters)

Viktoriia Onopriienko, of Ukraine, performs during the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around qualifier at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, August 6, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Ashley Landis/AP Photo)

Pedestrians look at “doll” model Lulu Hashimoto standing on the street during a photo opportunity for Reuters in Tokyo, Japan August 23, 2017. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

Hiroto Ishizawa of Japan falls while competing on the pommel horse during qualifications at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia on October 19, 2025. (Photo by Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/Reuters)

A macro view of an ant taking a sip from a water droplet on the edge of a flower in Obihiro, Japan. Animal-Lover Miki Asai has gone a step beyond feeding bread to the ducks – by syringe-feeding water to tiny ants. The office worker from Obihiro City, Japan, squirts droplets near the tiny insects and then uses a macro lens to capture quenching their thirst. The amateur photographer started capturing these images near her house in July 2013 after spotting an ant struggling in the rain. (Photo by Miki Asai/Barcroft Media)

For her series “Japanese Whispers”, Belgian photographer Zaza Bertrand headed inside the intimate world of rabuhos – Japanese love hotels. Love hotels became popular in Japan from the 1960s onwards, due to a lack of privacy in many family homes. There are now around 37,000 of these hotels in Japan, allowing short daytime “rests” or overnight stays. (Photo by Zaza Bertrand/The Guardian)

Fishermen slaughter a 9.61m Baird's Beaked whale at Wada Port on June 28, 2008 in Minami Boso, Chiba, Japan. Only five ports are allowed whaling under the coastal whaling program which tries to keep whaling tradition that dates back to the seventeenth century. Japan is only allowed to hunt a limited number of whales every year. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)

A Maiko, a traditional Japanese dancer, walks in the snow in Gion, Kyoto's famous geisha district, January 7, 2006 in Kyoto, Japan. The ancient city Kyoto attracts the largest number of visitors in Japan and has been increasing every year. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)