Here is a selection of Kyodo News photos taken this week in Japan and beyond.

July 1

Spanish great Andres Iniesta plays his final game for J-League first-division side Vissel Kobe, coming off to a standing ovation and speaking of the "love and respect" he received in Japan. Flanked by his wife and children, Iniesta wiped away tears as he was serenaded from the stands by supporters waving his No. 8 jersey and banners bearing his likeness. (Kyodo)
 
Bobblehead dolls of two-way player Shohei Ohtani and teammate Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels are handed out to spectators ahead of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Kyodo)

A gigantic Akita puppy frolics on a three-dimensional advertisement billboard in Osaka's Dotombori, surprising visitors in the bustling shopping district known for its abundance of eye-catching ad icons. (Kyodo)
 
 
July 2
 
Wishes written on strips of paper called "tanzaku" are attached to bamboo for the "tanabata" Star Festival in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, ahead of the 3rd anniversary of torrential rain that caused deadly floods. Local residents wished for the speedy reconstruction of affected areas and that they be spared from further rain and disasters. (Kyodo)
 
More than 200 colorful kayaks dotted the seas between Kagoshima Prefecture's Amami Oshima and Kakeroma, as the Amami Sea Kayak Marathon Race returns for the first time in four years after having been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic and typhoon. (Kyodo)
 
 
July 3
 
This year's first shipment of square watermelons begins in Zentsuji, Kagawa Prefecture, with each fruit priced at about 10,000 yen (US$70). Harvested while still unripe, the cubic melons are not suitable for eating and are generally purchased as ornaments. (Kyodo)
 
The Azabudai Hills Mori JP Tower stands at a height of 330 meters in the heart of Tokyo and, having just been completed, is now Japan's tallest skyscraper at some 30 meters taller than the previous title holder. The new landmark is expected to be topped in fiscal 2027, however, by another skyscraper that will rise to 390 meters in height near Tokyo Station. (Kyodo)
 
Heavy rain pounds Japan's southwestern Kyushu region, causing a bridge to collapse and leading to alerts warning residents of possible mudslides and flooding. Evacuation orders were issued for some 360,000 residents in the city of Kumamoto. (Kyodo)
 

July 4

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visits Japan on a four-day trip to review the safety of Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea. (Kyodo)
 
Universal Studios Japan in Osaka holds a media preview of the "Super Mario Power-Up Summer" water festival ahead of its July 5 official opening. The annual summer event makes its return after being suspended since 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and will feature Mario and fellow characters from USJ's Super Nintendo World. (Kyodo)
Temperatures rise across the country, especially in central and western Japan, with the mercury climbing above 35 C in places such as Nagoya and Kyoto. A town in Gifu Prefecture recorded 36.5 C, the highest so far this year across the archipelago. (Kyodo)

 

July 5

Lotus flowers are in full bloom at Seisho-ji temple in Kawachinagano in Osaka Prefecture. (Kyodo)
 
Israeli forces launch a massive two-day military operation on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. (Kyodo)
 
Armed police officers stand guard near the Grand Bazaar in Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. July 5 marked the 14th anniversary of deadly riots in Urumqi. (Kyodo)
 

July 6

Memorial ceremonies are held in Hiroshima and Okayama to mark the fifth anniversary of devastating flooding and landslides that claimed more than 200 lives in the two prefectures. (Kyodo)
 
Yosuke Watanuki of Japan celebrates after winning his men's singles first-round match against Marc-Andrea Huesler of Switzerland at the Wimbledon tennis tournament in London. Four other Japanese singles players -- Sho Shimabukuro, Taro Daniel and Shintaro Mochizuki in men's play and Nao Hibino in the women's draw -- were eliminated in the first round. (Kyodo)

 

July 7

Elementary school pupils tie "tanzaku" paper strips with their wishes written on them onto bamboo, leftover from the pandas at Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, as Japan celebrates the "tanabata" Star Festival. (Kyodo)
 
People gather near the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to protest against Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea. The South Korean government said the same day its own analysis showed the plan meets international safety standards but it will maintain an import ban on Japanese seafood from Fukushima and some other prefectures amid safety concerns.(Kyodo)
 
Osaka's Okawa River is lit up with some 40,000 floating blue LED light balls, creating a magical illumination resembling the Milky Way, on the evening of the annual Tanabata star festival. (Kyodo)

Back number:

Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - June 24~30

Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - June 17~23

Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - June 10~16

Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - June 3~9