World Heritage–listed Himeji Castle is undergoing its traditional year-end clean-up as Self-Defense Forces personnel remove a year’s worth of dust and debris. The annual effort, known as the Himeji Castle Clean Operation, is carried out each year around this time by SDF personnel stationed in the city as part of their training, and roughly 350 members took part this year. (News On Japan)

Osaka City–based developers have unveiled a new model of their elderly care bathing device on display at an announcement event, presenting an upgraded version of the Future Human Washing Machine that drew attention at the Healthcare Pavilion of the Osaka–Kansai Expo. (News On Japan)