Here is a selection of Kyodo News photos taken this week in Japan and beyond.
April 27
Japan kicks off this year's Golden Week holidays, with train stations and airports across the country crowded with travelers amid the post-COVID tourism boom, while the yen's sharp fall against other currencies has made overseas travel more expensive. (Kyodo)
April 28
Some 250 "koinobori" carp streamers fly over a beach in Kumano, Mie Prefecture, ahead of the May 5 Children's Day. (Kyodo)
Spectacular views of the famous whirlpools at Naruto Strait, located between Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture and Naruto in Tokushima Prefecture, draw tourists during the spring sightseeing season. (Kyodo)
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, headed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, suffers crushing defeat in the House of Representatives by-elections, including in the conservative stronghold of Shimane Prefecture. All three seats up for grabs went to the leading opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. (Kyodo)
A Japanese town begins work to set up a large black screen to block the view of Mt. Fuji at a popular photo spot in response to what it calls unruly behavior from tourists. The picturesque location, where the sight of Japan's highest mountain towering over a Lawson convenience store in Fujikawaguchiko, rose to fame on social media but littering, illegal parking and jaywalking by visitors have drawn concerns. (Kyodo)
April 29
The yen rallies sharply after dropping to a new 34-year low in the 160 level against the U.S. dollar in Asian trading, amid speculation of intervention by Japan, although its top currency diplomat would not confirm whether the government had stepped in. (Kyodo)
Japan books a Paris Olympics berth in men's football after securing a top-three finish at the U-23 Asian Cup with a dominant 2-0 semifinal win over Iraq. (Kyodo)
April 30
The families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea decades ago meet with senior U.S. government officials, asking them for help getting the victims home as soon as possible. (Kyodo)
May 1
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shakes hands with French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal as they hold talks in Paris. (Kyodo)
Wreckage remains near the site of a gutted market in Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, after a blaze broke out following a strong earthquake on Jan. 1. (Kyodo)
May 2
Japanese Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their only daughter, Princess Aiko, take a stroll during a visit to the Imperial Stock Farm in Takanezawa in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan. (Kyodo)
A vehicle runs through a newly opened detour for quake-damaged Route 249 that was created on an elevated seabed in Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, following a strong earthquake that jolted the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas in central Japan on Jan. 1. (Kyodo)
May 3
Sargent cherry trees begin blooming in Kushiro, Hokkaido, the last among the Japan Meterological Agency's observation sites across the country. (Kyodo)
Japan's footballers celebrate winning the men's under-23 Asian Cup following a 1-0 victory over Uzbekistan in the final in Doha. (Kyodo)
Mashiro Yasunaga (R) and Moe Higa compete in the duet technical routine on the first day of the Artistic Swimming World Cup in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, France. (Kyodo)
