A mega-typhoon was slowly heading north-northeast around noon on Sept. 19 while damaging buildings, killing one and causing injuries mainly in the Kyushu region.
The huge Sanja Matsuri festival featuring three portable “mikoshi” shrines returned on May 22 for the first time in three years to crowded streets in Tokyo’s Asakusa district and with some anti-virus restrictions applied.
Traditional “nyusha-shiki” welcoming ceremonies boasting big crowds have come back in fashion, as major companies revived their standard, pre-pandemic pomp to greet fresh recruits in-person this year.