KYOTO - Kyoto’s traditional Obon event, Gozan no Okuribi -- more commonly known as Daimonji -- was held on Saturday night, sending off the spirits of ancestors who returned to the living world during Obon, while also offering prayers for good health.
Despite the rain, large crowds gathered with umbrellas in hand to spend time watching the flickering fire.
According to the Kyoto Prefectural Police, about 22,000 people gathered at five sites across the city this year.
Source: TBS
More than 1,200 vehicles are believed to have been left stranded on roads across Chiba Prefecture after torrential rain caused widespread flooding, with authorities confirming eight deaths and investigating a drainage pump failure at an underpass where a man died.
The death toll from the record-breaking heavy rain in Chiba Prefecture has risen to eight, with one person still missing and damage reported to at least 170 homes as flooding, landslides, water outages and transport disruptions continued on August 14.
Japan's weather agency raised the volcanic alert level for Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture from Level 2 to Level 3 on August 14 after volcanic tremors strengthened and gas emissions increased sharply, warning people to stay away from areas within about 2 kilometers of the Nakadake No. 1 crater.
Typhoon No. 17 was moving east near Minamitorishima on August 14 and is expected to continue weakening before becoming a tropical depression by August 16.
Google opened its first flagship store in Japan in Tokyo's Omotesando district at 2 p.m. on August 13, marking the company's first flagship retail location outside the United States.
A woman believed to be a foreign visitor has drawn criticism after posting images on social media showing herself climbing and posing on an ancient camphor tree more than 800 years old at Onamuchi Shrine in Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture, where climbing the protected tree is prohibited.
Bear sightings are increasing across Japan as the animals become more active during their summer breeding season, with encounters reported near major tourist destinations, campsites and fishing areas, including an attack that left a man injured in Gunma Prefecture.
The return rush at Kansai International Airport peaked on August 14 as travelers who spent the Obon holiday overseas arrived back in Japan, with 39,300 international passengers expected to land at the airport during the day.
Osaka police have arrested or referred 38 men and women in their 20s to 40s over suspected dangerous group driving and other offenses on Hanna Road, a mountain route linking Daito in Osaka Prefecture with Nara, as illegal street racing continues to disturb residents despite years of enforcement.
A male employee in his 60s was injured after being attacked by a bear while working on the grounds of a garden center in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, at around 8:30 a.m. on August 13.
Japan is often introduced to first-time travellers through Tokyo, but the country’s appeal extends far beyond its futuristic capital.
All Nippon Airways said on August 12 that it will lower fuel surcharges added to international airfares for tickets issued from September, following a temporary easing in fuel prices after a sharp rise linked to worsening conditions in the Middle East.
A 23-year-old Mexican national has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to smuggle endangered lizards into Japan after customs officers at Haneda Airport discovered about 200 reptiles concealed inside 22 pairs of socks.
