Here is our selection of news photos taken in Japan and beyond by Kyodo News photographers this week.

 

A damaged photo album is pictured on July 12, 2020, in a house in the flood-ravaged city of Kuma in Kumamoto Prefecture, as residents and volunteers worked to clean up the area after torrential rain devastated  southwestern Japan. (Kyodo) 

 

A sign pictured outside a kushikatsu restaurant in Osaka on July 12, 2020, notifies patrons that the custom of dipping kushikatsu -- skewered deep-fried meats and vegetables -- into a shared container of sauce on the table has now been replaced with using bottled sauce amid concerns over the new coronavirus. (Kyodo)

 
The Tower of the Sun in Suita, Osaka, a major artwork by the late Taro Okamoto, is lit up in yellow on July 13, 2020, warning of the spread of the new coronavirus. (Kyodo)
 
 
A woman cleans up in the flood-hit village of Kuma in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on July 13, 2020, after torrential rain. (Kyodo) 

 

 
Shinto priests dressed in traditional costumes take part in an event to exchange a "shimenawa" sacred rope hanging over the top of Nachi waterfall in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on July 13, 2020. The event was held to prepare for an upcoming festival at nearby Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine. (Kyodo) 

 

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels pitches in an intrasquad game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, on July 13, 2020. (Kyodo) 
 
 
A notice attached to a postbox in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, informs the public on July 14, 2020, that mail collections have been temporarily suspended in the aftermath of extensive floods across southwestern Japan. (Kyodo) 

 

A prototype of a walkthrough ticket gate is shown at an event held by East Japan Railway Co. in front of JR Takanawa Gateway Station in Tokyo on July 14, 2020. JR East aims to launch the touchless gates to enable passengers to gain access gates via a smartphone app in two to three years. (Kyodo) 

 

Nissan Motor Co. unveils its new electric vehicle Ariya, scheduled to be launched in mid-2021, at a press preview in Yokohama on July 14, 2020.  (Kyodo) 

 
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike attends a meeting of the metropolitan government's panel of experts tasked with monitoring the coronavirus situation held at the government headquarters in the Japanese capital on July 15, 2020. Tokyo has seen a spike in the number of new infections, with the average daily figure exceeding 170 over the past week. (Kyodo) 

 
Craft beer co-developed by electronics maker NEC Corp. and beer maker Kyodoshoji Corp., known for the Coedo brand, are shown to the press in Tokyo on July 15, 2020. By analyzing magazine articles with the use of artificial intelligence, NEC found types of beer favored by each age group, from 20s to 50s. (Kyodo) 

 

A new tank at Sumida Aquarium in Tokyo displaying about 500 moon jellyfish is shown to the media on July 15, 2020, a day ahead of its public opening. (Kyodo)
 
 
Japan's 17-year-old shogi sensation Sota Fujii is pictured after defeating defending champion Akira Watanabe in a best-of-five series to clinch the Kisei title, one of the board game's eight major titles, on July 16, 2020. Fujii became the youngest player ever to win a major shogi title at 17 years and 11 months. (Kyodo) 

 
Washing machines decorated in colorful floral patterns are set up at an evacuation center so that residents can do laundry free of charge in the flood-hit city of Hitoyoshi in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, as seen on July 16, 2020. (Kyodo) 

 

A restaurant in Seto, Aichi Prefecture, offers a special edition Japanese "rice-filled omelette" dish on July 17, 2020, to celebrate shogi sensation Sota Fujii's becoming the youngest player ever to win a major shogi title a day earlier. (Kyodo)

 

 
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Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - July 4~10

Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - June 27~July 3

Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - June 20~26

Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - June 13~19