Tokyo, Japan – No Olympics 2020 demo in Shinjuku, January 23, 2016. A group of protestors organized an anti-Olympics demonstration on Jan 23, 2016 to protest against the cost of hosting the Olympic Games and the effect it will have on the poor of Tokyo. The protesters asked for the Abe government to use the Olympic money for social spending which has been cut in recent years. (Photo by Alessandro Di Ciommo/AFLO)
Tokyo, Japan – (L-R) Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako, Prince Akishino, and Princess Kiko attend a send off for Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko who will visit the Philippines, at Haneda Airport, January 26, 2016. (Photo by Motoo Naka/AFLO)
Tokyo, Japan – Thousands of Maneki-Neko figurines on display at Goutoku Temple, January 26, 2016. (Photo by Rodrigo Reyes Marin/AFLO)
Tokyo, Japan – SoftBank’s humanoid robot Pepper appears during a press conference, January 27, 2016. Fumihide Tomizawa, Chief Executive Officer of SoftBank Robotics announced plans to open a new app store where customers can download robot Pepper applications to allow it to do specific jobs. From February 22 over 500 companies where the robot is already working, will be able to download Pepper apps to help their business. SoftBank also plans to introduce the robot into 2,000 of its own stores by the end of February 2016, and to open a new phone store staffed entirely by Pepper robots. (Photo by Rodrigo Reyes Marin/AFLO)
Kanagawa, Japan – A man walks through a path of fire during the Manpuku-temple Firewalking Festival, January, 28, 2016. Hibuse Matsuri in Manpuku-temple is a traditional firewalking ceremony of barefoot mountain priests. In “Hibuse Matsuri”, after the questions and answers by mountaineering ascetics, a fire is made with sacred cards of the previous year and New Year’s decorations collected in the precinct of the temple. During the festival barefoot mountain priests walk over the fire followed by general worshippers, praying for health and happiness. (Photo by Alessandro Di Ciommo/AFLO)
