A traditional winter festival is held in Nara, western Japan, on Jan. 22, 2022, with burning Mt. Wakakusa and fireworks lighting up the sky. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
People wearing face masks walk on a shopping street in Tokyo's Asakusa area on Jan. 22, 2022, as the capital's daily COVID-19 cases top 10,000 for the first time. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force transport vessel Osumi prepares to depart from its base in Kure in Hiroshima Prefecture on Jan. 24, 2022, carrying drinking water and other relief supplies bound for Tonga. The South Pacific island nation suffered severe damage after an undersea volcanic eruption and related tsunami struck around 10 days earlier. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
People wearing face masks walk in Osaka on Jan. 24, 2022, amid the unabated spread of COVID-19 infections. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Traditional "hina" dolls featuring (clockwise from bottom L) baseball star Shohei Ohtani, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Sanae Takaichi and golfer Mone Inami are unveiled by doll maker Kyugetsu Co. in Tokyo on Jan. 26, 2022. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Apprentice geiko, known as maiko, look at "ume" Japanese apricots in a newly created flower garden at Kyoto's Kitano Tenmangu shrine on Jan. 26, 2022. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Shingo Kunieda of Japan poses with the trophy after defeating Alfie Hewett of Britain in the men's wheelchair singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne on Jan. 27, 2022. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
A financial data screen on a Tokyo street shows the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average closing down about 840 points or over 3 percent, on Jan. 27, 2022, as selling accelerated on growing fears that the U.S. Federal Reserve may implement more interest rate increases than expected. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
An official in protective gear carries COVID-19 PCR test kits in the Beijing Olympics athletes' village on Jan. 27, 2022, ahead of the games opening on Feb. 4. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
No customers are at the Fields sports bar in Tokyo's Shibuya area when a FIFA World Cup qualifier between Japan and China is on TV on the night of Jan. 27, 2022, as alcohol is served only until 8 p.m. due to coronavirus restrictions. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The Olympic rings are seen at a Beijing Winter Olympics facility in the Chinese capital on Jan. 18, 2022, ahead of the games opening on Feb. 4. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
