2021 Rewind: 10 cool pictures from Japan to enjoy at year’s end

From a heartwarming picture of a family reunion to a photo zooming in on the snowy slopes of Hokkaido — but not for skiing — The Mainichi’s editing team has dug into its 2021 album to come up with 10 cool pictures from Japan for your year-end enjoyment.

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<< Mainichi wins Japan newspaper award for photo of heartwarming pandemic reunion at care home>>

TOKYO — A Mainichi Shimbun reporter’s photo capturing a surreal and touching reunion between an elderly mother and her adult daughter during the coronavirus pandemic in October 2020 won a prize in the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association (NSK) Awards on Oct. 6, extending the newspaper’s record-breaking run in the awards to 33 wins. Full story.

<< Sub-zero and under-par: Golfers hit snowy Hokkaido course in freezing temps>>

BIBAI, Hokkaido — Golfers are taking to a snow-covered course in Japan’s northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido for rounds of “snow golf,” defying minus-10-degree-Celsius temperatures to swing their clubs. Full story.

<< Enchanting Edo: Tokyo ‘kumihimo’ shop braids elegant silk while keeping tradition alive>>

TOKYO — Spools hitting against one another create gentle echoes throughout a shop in Tokyo as bundles of thread are crisscrossed back and forth. The craftsmen here are making traditionally braided items called “kumihimo,” which literally means “assembling thread” in Japanese. Full story and photo special.

<< Kyoto in motion: Green maple leaves reflected on Rurikoin temple desk, floor>>

KYOTO — The green maple leaves are at their most spectacular at Rurikoin temple in Kyoto’s Sakyo Ward with water droplets bringing out the best of the garden in the rainy season. Full story and video.

<< Former Imperial Japanese military sub hunting station in Tokyo Bay a witness to history>>

YOKOSUKA, Kanagawa — A former Imperial Japanese military acoustic location station, a long disused and increasingly decrepit sentinel from the dark years of militarism and war, still sits in Tokyo Bay’s Uraga Channel near the Kannonzaki Lighthouse here. Full story and photo special.

<< Centuries old Kishiwada Danjiri Festival held in Osaka Pref. after 1-yr pandemic hiatus>>

KISHIWADA, Osaka — The annual Kishiwada Danjiri Festival was held in this Osaka Prefecture city on Sept. 18 and 19 for the first time in two years, with some measures to prevent coronavirus transmissions. Full story, video and photo special.

<< Full harvest moon shines through clouds in many areas across Japan>>

FUKUOKA — A full harvest moon was seen in this southwest Japan city as it shone in the night sky through wisps of cloud, as well as in many other parts of the country on Sept. 21. Full story and photo special.

<< Japan Photo Journal: Grape ‘jewelry box’ popular gift for distant loved-ones>>

Boxes resembling jewelry cases bursting with colorful grapes, a specialty of Okayama Prefecture, are seen in the prefectural city of Kurashiki in this recent photo. Full story.

<< Japan Photo Journal: Endangered migratory spoonbills arrive in Japan for winter>>

Black-faced spoonbills, endangered migratory birds of the ibis family, are seen in the sunset along the Tatara River in the city of Fukuoka on Oct. 17, 2021. The birds, commonly referred to in Japan as “messengers of winter,” stand about 75 centimeters tall. Full story.

<< Geiko, maiko dress up to watch year-end Kabuki show in Kyoto amid pandemic>>

KYOTO — The annual “Kagai Soken,” in which geiko and their “maiko” apprentices from Kyoto’s five famous “hanamachi” entertainment districts gather to see a special Kabuki show to introduce new actors for the following year, began at the Minamiza Theatre in this western Japan city’s Higashiyama Ward on Dec. 3. Full story and photo special.