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

July 22

Polar bear Hochan tucks into a chunk of ice containing fruit, a present from zookeepers at Tennoji Zoo in Osaka to help animals keep cool in the summer heat. (Kyodo)
 
Fans cheer for Nadeshiko Japan ahead of the Japanese national team's match against Zambia in the Women's World Cup Group C opener. Nadeshiko Japan, 11th in the FIFA rankings, hammered debutants Zambia 5-0 at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand. (Kyodo)
 
Gold medalist Yukiko Inui of Japan and other swimmers perform in the gala exhibition as the artistic swimming competition at the world aquatics championships wrapped up. (Kyodo)
 
Japan national rugby team Brave Blossoms take on Samoa at Sapporo Dome in the Pacific Nations Cup. Fourteen-man Japan were beaten 24-22 by Samoa, with Michael Leitch sent from the field for a high tackle in the 30th minute. (Kyodo)

 

July 23

Sekiwake Hoshoryu captures his first elite makuuchi-division championship after beating rank-and-file wrestler Hakutofuji in a playoff at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. (Kyodo)
 

July 24

Services on the JR Yamanote loop line in central Tokyo were suspended for more than four hours from early morning, affecting about 110,000 commuters during the rush hour. Trains were unable to leave JR East's Tokyo central rolling stock depot after an error in traffic signaling equipment. (Kyodo)
 
Decorated floats are paraded on a street during the Yamahoko Junko procession, a highlight of the traditional Gion Festival in Kyoto. (Kyodo)

 

July 25

Guest book entries by world leaders at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum during the Group of Seven Summit are displayed at the "G-7 Hiroshima Summit Reminiscences" exhibition at the International Conference Center Hiroshima. (Kyodo)
 
Fireworks light up excursion boats on the Okawa River from above during the traditional "funatogyo" boat procession, part of the Tenjin Matsuri summer festival in Osaka. (Kyodo)
 
People gather to watch a parade on the Seine in Paris, part of a ceremony to reveal the Paris 2024 Olympic torch and to mark the countdown to the games that begin on July 26 next year. (Kyodo)
 
Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue dethrones WBC and WBO super bantamweight champion Stephen Fulton of the United States with an eighth-round technical knockout in Tokyo. Inoue took a dominant first step toward his goal of becoming the world's first boxer to sweep four championship belts in two weight divisions following last December's completion of the bantamweight sweep. (Kyodo)

 

July 26

Japan and France begin their first-ever joint fighter jet drills as part of efforts to boost their security partnership amid China's growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. Two Rafale fighters from the French Air and Space Force will train with F-15 and F-2 fighter jets from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in the southwestern Japan skies until July 29. (Kyodo)
 
Japan's Tomoru Honda competes in the men's 200-meter butterfly final at the world aquatics championships in Fukuoka en route to winning bronze medal. (Kyodo)
 
Australian swimmer Mollie O'Callaghan sets a world record in the women's 200-meter freestyle at the world aquatics championships in Fukuoka, clocking 1 minute, 52.85 seconds. (Kyodo)
 

July 27

Chiang Hung-chieh, the Taiwanese ex-husband of retired Japanese table tennis star Ai Fukuhara, calls on her to promptly comply with a Tokyo court order to hand over their son, after she took him to Japan from Taiwan around a year ago. "I want to see my son as soon as possible. I want the child to be returned peacefully in accordance with the court order." (Kyodo)
 
Taiwan conducts its multiday annual Han Kuang military exercises, the island's largest involving all military branches and intended to test Taiwan's ability to fend off a Chinese invasion by simulating attacks from sea, air and land. (Kyodo)
 
Temperatures across Japan continue to remain high, prompting the weather agency to urge people to take precautions to avoid heat exhaustion. (Kyodo)
 
Shohei Ohtani throws the first complete-game shutout of his major league career in Game 1 and blasts two home runs in Game 2 as the Los Angeles Angels won both games of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers.

July 28

Officials of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism conduct on-site inspections of Bigmotor Co. dealerships across the country amid allegations that the used car chain charged excessive fees after intentionally damaging vehicles and made fraudulent insurance claims. (Kyodo)
 

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Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - July 15~21

Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - July 8~14

Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - July 1~7

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