Japan and beyond: Week in Photos
April 20-26

April 20

Ahead of Children's Day, celebrated in Japan on May 5, 333 carp streamers are flown at Tokyo Tower -- referencing the landmark's height at 333 meters. The popular sightseeing spot in the capital is crowded with visitors, including many overseas tourists. (Kyodo)

The Chinese People's Liberation Army opens four active warships docked in Qingdao, Shandong Province, to the public, including the Guiyang and Shijiazhuang missile destroyers, ahead of the 75th anniversary of its Navy's founding on April 23. (Kyodo)

April 21

Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani hits the 176th home run of his major league career, breaking a tie with Hideki Matsui for the most by a Japan-born player. (Kyodo)

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Shohei Ohtani is showered with sunflower seeds by his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in celebration of the 176th home run of his major league career. (Kyodo)

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sends a ritual offering to the war-linked Yasukuni shrine, viewed by some of Japan's Asian neighbors as a symbol of the country's past militarism, on the occasion of its spring festival. (Kyodo)

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Two Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopters crash during a nighttime anti-submarine drill in the Pacific, leaving one of the eight crew members confirmed dead, with the seven others unaccounted for. (Kyodo)

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April 22

Uniforms for volunteer staff at the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka are unveiled at an event in the western Japan city. (Kyodo)

China warns against attempts to carry out maritime containment, with Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Gen. Zhang Youxia telling participants of the four-day biennial Western Pacific Naval Symposium in Qingdao that such a policy would divide the world and cause turbulence. (Kyodo)

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April 23

The Tokyo DisneySea Fantasy Springs Hotel, a new accommodation facility comprising two wings in the theme park's Fantasy Springs area slated to open in June, is shown to the media during a preview. The hotel will offer 475 rooms across nine floors. (Kyodo)

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Japanese Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and other imperial family members attend a spring imperial garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo. (Kyodo)

April 24

Yokohama F Marinos players celebrate after beating Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea on penalties in the second leg of their Asian Champions League semifinal at International Stadium Yokohama. Marinos reached their first ACL final after seeing off Ulsan 5-4 in the shootout following a dramatic 3-3 aggregate draw. (Kyodo)

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Candles are lit at a memorial event on the eve of the 19th anniversary of a train derailment that left 107 people dead in the western Japan city of Amagasaki. The candles are lined up to form the date of the tragedy and the word "wasurenai" (we will never forget) below. The driver of the train and 106 passengers were killed, while 562 people were injured in the accident. (Kyodo)

The Japan Meteorological Agency's new weather observation ship, Ryofu Maru, is shown to the media in Tokyo's Daiba waterfront, featuring an antenna to measure the level of moisture vapor. (Kyodo)

April 25

Mirano Kita performs at a send-off event for the Japan rhythmic gymnastics national team at the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences in Tokyo, ahead of the Asian Championships in Tashkent in May. The championships double as a qualifying competition for the Paris Olympics. (Kyodo)

Japanese Princess Aiko visits the mausoleum of Emperor Showa, her great-grandfather, at the Musashi imperial mausoleum complex in Hachioji, western Tokyo. (Kyodo).

Japan's Mao Hosoya (19) reacts after scoring during the first half of extra time in an under-23 Asian Cup men's football quarterfinal match against Qatar on April 25, 2024, in Doha, Qatar. Japan won 4-2 to reach the last four and keep alive their hopes of qualifying for this summer's Paris Olympics. (Kyodo)

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