The Aomori Nebuta Festival opened in Aomori city on August 2, with vividly colored warrior lantern floats illuminating the summer night as dancers filled the streets with energetic chants and leaps.
Osaka's Tenjin Festival, one of Japan's three major festivals and a tradition dating back more than 1,000 years, drew about 1.29 million visitors this year, close to a record high, even as organizers struggled with extreme heat, growing numbers of foreign tourists, waste and mounting safety concerns.
International flight bookings for Japan's Obon holiday period have lost momentum for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, with airlines pointing to global uncertainty and the weak yen as factors discouraging overseas travel.
Universal Studios Japan launched its annual One Piece Premier Summer event on July 30, offering live battle performances and new festival-themed food inspired by the popular anime series.
Junglia Okinawa will mark its first anniversary on July 25 after generating an estimated 32.2 billion yen in economic activity during its first six months, drawing more tourists to northern Okinawa and expanding business with local companies, although the benefits have varied widely across the region.
Thomas the Tank Engine and Percy appeared side by side at Oigawa Railway's retro-style Shin-Kanaya Station in Shimada, Shizuoka Prefecture, drawing cheers from passengers and children who packed the platform for the dream pairing.
Wildfires continued to burn across southwestern France, spreading closer to Bordeaux and disrupting tourism as a Japanese winemaker in the renowned wine-producing region reported fewer visitors and tour cancellations.
A powerful earthquake that registered the maximum seismic intensity of 7 in Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28 caused stone walls to collapse at 28 locations within Kumamoto Castle, reviving painful memories among residents who experienced the devastating earthquakes a decade ago.