Japan and beyond: Week in Photos
May 25-31

Here is a selection of Kyodo News photos and videos
taken this week in Japan and beyond.

May 25

Surfer Kanoa Igarashi competes in the Tahiti Pro, the sixth stop of the men's Championship Tour, in Tahiti. (Kyodo)

Yokohama F Marinos miss out on their first Asian Champions League title, losing the final 6-3 on aggregate to Al Ain after the first-time finalists went down 5-1 in the second leg in the United Arab Emirates with a man sent off. (Kyodo)

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May 26

Horsemen dressed as armored warriors compete in the Kachu Keiba race during Soma Nomaoi, a 1,000-year-old summer festival celebrating martial skills and horse riding in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture. Traditionally held in late July, the event was moved up to late May this year to avoid the scorching summer heat. (Kyodo)

The Ground Self-Defense Force conducts an annual live-fire artillery drill at its Higashifuji training site near Mt. Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture. (Kyodo)

Twenty-three-year-old komusubi Onosato defeats sekiwake Abi to win the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in just his seventh tourney as a pro, making him the least-experienced champion in history. (Kyodo)

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May 27

High-profile opposition lawmaker Renho says she will run in Tokyo's gubernatorial election in July, setting the stage for a likely showdown with incumbent Yuriko Koike, who is seeking reelection for her third term. (Kyodo)

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North Korea launches a military reconnaissance satellite but fails to put it into orbit due to engine problems. The satellite-carrying rocket exploded midair after the launch. (Kyodo)

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Japan's Princess Kako visits the Faneromeni monastery on Salamina Island during her visit to Greece to mark 125 years of diplomatic ties between the countries. (Kyodo)

May 28

More than 40 locations across Japan experience record-breaking rainfall for May, with downpours in wide swathes of the country due to an active front. (Kyodo)

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Former Japanese Emperor Akihito and former Empress Michiko take a walk in Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park in Tochigi Prefecture. (Kyodo)

May 29

Japan's Princess Kako, a niece of Emperor Naruhito, uses sign language during a visit to a national institution for the deaf in Athens during an official visit to Greece to mark 125 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the countries. (Kyodo)

Naomi Osaka comes within a point of upsetting two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek before going down 7-6(1), 1-6, 7-5 in an epic second-round battle at the French Open. (Kyodo)

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Children play on a grassy area in central Osaka during an event related to a redevelopment project underway north of JR Osaka Station. (Kyodo)

May 30

A male Japan Self-Defense Forces member is killed after a grenade exploded during a training session at a facility in Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo, according to the SDF. (Kyodo)

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An aquarium formerly known as Suma Aqualife Park will reopen in Kobe on June 1 as Kobe Suma Sea World after extensive renewal work, featuring the only orca shows in western Japan. The large mammal, also known as killer whale, can be viewed while dining at a poolside restaurant. (Kyodo)

May 31

Kintetsu Railway's 1st new train model in 24 years travels through Osaka Prefecture on a large trailer en route to a Kintetsu depot. The 8A series train will first be introduced on lines running through the three prefectures of Kyoto, Osaka and Nara from October. (Kyodo).

A Tyrannosaurus image is projected on the ceiling of a so-called XR or cross reality bus ridden by journalists in Fukui city in the central Japan prefecture of Fukui ahead of the start of its commercial service. The bus, operated by West Japan Railway Co., is intended to promote sightseeing spots in Fukui Prefecture, which is known for its dinosaur fossils, by having tourists visiting the prefecture experience virtual reality and augmented reality worlds while riding the bus. (Kyodo)

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