Taiyo, a small-clawed otter at Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa in Tokyo, practices on Dec. 24, 2022, for a New Year event in which he will ring a bell and draw an "omikuji" fortunetelling slip in front of the audience. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Photo shows central Japan's Nagoya Castle blanketed with snow on Dec. 24, 2022. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Believers pray during a service at a church in Bucha on the outskirts of Kyiv on Christmas Day on Dec. 25, 2022. Many civilians were allegedly killed in a massacre by Russian soldiers during their occupation of the Ukrainian city in the spring of 2022. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Shoma Uno performs during the exhibition gala at Towa Pharmaceutical Ractab Dome in the Osaka Prefecture city of Kadoma, western Japan, on Dec. 26, 2022, after the national figure skating championships. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Ice dance duo Kana Muramoto (top) and Daisuke Takahashi perform during the exhibition gala at Towa Pharmaceutical Ractab Dome in the Osaka Prefecture city of Kadoma, western Japan, on Dec. 26, 2022, after the national figure skating championships. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Citizens including atomic bomb survivors rally in central Hiroshima on Dec. 26, 2022, in protest against the central government's recent decision to acquire the capabilities to strike enemy bases and double defense spending for the next five years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
A South American sea lion writes the kanji character meaning "rabbit" at Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in Yokohama, near Tokyo, on Dec. 26, 2022, ahead of the 2023 Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
People wearing face masks walk through a departure lobby of Beijing Capital International Airport on Dec. 27, 2022. China said the previous day it will reopen borders and abandon quarantine measures that have been in place to stem the spread of coronavirus infections on Jan. 8, in a shift away from its strict "zero-COVID" policy. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Four-year-old giant panda Saihin is given a "kadomatsu" traditional Japanese decoration for the New Year and ice blocks carved into the numbers "2023" in celebration of the coming year at the Adventure World zoo and amusement park in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 27, 2022. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Photo taken Dec. 28, 2022, shows the National Stadium in Tokyo. The Japan Sports Agency revealed the same day the public may continue paying up to around 1 billion yen ($7.5 million) in annual maintenance costs for the stadium after its planned privatization. (Kyodo)
A shinkansen bullet train platform at JR Tokyo Station is crowded on Dec. 29, 2022, with people heading to their hometowns and resort areas for New Year holidays. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Photo shows an altar for the victims of the Halloween crowd crush near its site in Seoul's Itaewon area on Dec. 29, 2022, two months after the incident that claimed 158 lives. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
WBO super flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka of Japan (L) and WBA titleholder Joshua Franco of the United States pose for a photo in Tokyo on Dec. 30, 2022, as they attend the weigh-in for their title unification boxing match on New Year's Eve. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Four-year-old giant panda Saihin is given a "kadomatsu" traditional Japanese decoration for the New Year and ice blocks carved into the numbers "2023" in celebration of the coming year at the Adventure World zoo and amusement park in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 27, 2022. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
A South American sea lion writes the kanji character meaning "rabbit" at Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in Yokohama, near Tokyo, on Dec. 26, 2022, ahead of the 2023 Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Photo taken Dec. 28, 2022, shows the National Stadium in Tokyo. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Photo shows an altar for the victims of the Halloween crowd crush near its site in Seoul's Itaewon area on Dec. 29, 2022, two months after the incident that claimed 158 lives. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
WBO super flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka of Japan (L) and WBA titleholder Joshua Franco of the United States pose for a photo in Tokyo on Dec. 30, 2022, as they attend the weigh-in for their title unification boxing match on New Year's Eve. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
