A prefecture in the Kantō region of Honshu, Japan
Kyoto's Gion Matsuri festival, one of Japan's oldest rites, draws crowds for a centuries-old parade of 12-ton floats. Scholars describe it as an offering to deities, rooted in epidemic protection, while the Meiji-era split of Shinto and Buddhism reshaped its religious practices.
A magnitude 5.8–5.9 earthquake struck southern Ibaraki and rattled Tokyo, injuring dozens across five prefectures. Trains faced delays; Shinkansen service remains normal. Authorities set up a task force to assess damage as residents brace for possible aftershocks.