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Mayu adjusts Koiku’s kimono, as Koiku wears a protective face mask while posing for a photograph, before they work at a party where they will entertain with other geisha at Japanese luxury restaurant Asada in Tokyo, Japan, June 23, 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has made Tokyo's geisha fear for their centuries-old profession as never before. Though the number of geisha - famed for their witty conversation, beauty and skill at traditional arts - has been falling for years, they were without work for months due to Japan's state of emergency and now operate under awkward social distancing rules. Engagements are down 95 percent, and come with new rules: no pouring drinks for customers or touching them even to shake hands, and sitting 2 meters apart. Masks are hard to wear with their elaborate wigs, so they mostly don't. “I was just full of anxiety”, said Mayu, 47. “I went through my photos, sorted my kimonos ... The thought of a second wave is terrifying”. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

Mayu adjusts Koiku’s kimono, as Koiku wears a protective face mask while posing for a photograph, before they work at a party where they will entertain with other geisha at Japanese luxury restaurant Asada in Tokyo, Japan, June 23, 2020. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)
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23 Jul 2020 00:03:00
Fumie Takino, 89, founder of a senior cheer squad called Japan Pom Pom, and other members pose for commemorative photos before filming a dance routine for an online performance in Tokyo, Japan, April 12, 2021. “It's dancing; moving your body is nice”, Takino said. “And the costumes are unbelievably showy. Some people join just so they can wear them”. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

Fumie Takino, 89, founder of a senior cheer squad called Japan Pom Pom, and other members pose for commemorative photos before filming a dance routine for an online performance in Tokyo, Japan, April 12, 2021. “It's dancing; moving your body is nice”, Takino said. “And the costumes are unbelievably showy. Some people join just so they can wear them”. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)
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06 May 2021 08:30:00
Visitors take masks off to take pictures as hydrangea flowers are fully blooming at Meigetsu-in Buddhist temple Friday, June 11, 2021, in Kamakura, south of Tokyo. (Photo by Kiichiro Sato/AP Photo)

Visitors take masks off to take pictures as hydrangea flowers are fully blooming at Meigetsu-in Buddhist temple Friday, June 11, 2021, in Kamakura, south of Tokyo. (Photo by Kiichiro Sato/AP Photo)
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09 Jul 2021 09:03:00
People watch the Pikachu parade which is a part of the 2023 Pokémon World Championships, at Grand Mall Park in Yokohama on August 11, 2023. (Photo by Philip Fong/AFP Photo)

People watch the Pikachu parade which is a part of the 2023 Pokémon World Championships, at Grand Mall Park in Yokohama on August 11, 2023. (Photo by Philip Fong/AFP Photo)
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07 Sep 2023 03:04:00
An annual fire festival is held in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on July 14, 2019. (Photo by Kyodo News via Getty Images)

An annual fire festival is held in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on July 14, 2019. (Photo by Kyodo News via Getty Images)
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02 Aug 2019 00:01:00
Japan's Princess Mako (R) attends the enthronement ceremony where Emperor Naruhito officially proclaimed his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on October 22, 2019. (Photo by Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Japan's Princess Mako (R) attends the enthronement ceremony where Emperor Naruhito officially proclaimed his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on October 22, 2019. (Photo by Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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24 Oct 2019 00:05:00
A dog walks on the street as it snows in Kyoto on January 25, 2024. (Photo by Philip Fong/AFP Photo)

A dog walks on the street as it snows in Kyoto on January 25, 2024. (Photo by Philip Fong/AFP Photo)
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31 Jan 2024 08:48:00
People are walking with umbrellas on a snow-covered street during the first snowfall of the year in Tokyo, Japan, on February 5, 2024. (Photo by Jerome Gilles/NurPhoto/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

People are walking with umbrellas on a snow-covered street during the first snowfall of the year in Tokyo, Japan, on February 5, 2024. (Photo by Jerome Gilles/NurPhoto/Rex Features/Shutterstock)
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10 Feb 2024 09:22:00