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| Anti-nuclear activists hold a protest against restarting the commercial nuclear reactors on July 27, 2012 in Osaka, Japan. Two of Japan's commercial nuclear reactors restarted after shut down due to safety concerns in the wake of the meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 plant in March 2011. Fifty commercial nuclear reactors are in Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| Japanese man as Yamabushi, mountain ascetic performs a sacred fire ritual during a religious annual ceremony on 22 July, 2012 in Kyoto, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| Two children walk on Tottori sand dunes on July 21, 2012 in Tottori, Japan. The dunes are over 30 km² but are decreasing in size as a result of the reforestation program following World War II. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| Japanese woman walks beside of sand replica titled 'British Science ? Charles Robert Darwin' during the event of sand made olympic gold medal and logos carve at Sand Museum located in the Tottori Dun on July 20, 2012 in Tottori, Japan. Tottori Sand Museum is world's first ever sand museum and this year hosts their 5th exhibition, focusing on the theme of Great Britain as the nation celebrates hosting of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The exhibition is open to the public from April 14 to January, 2013. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| Japanese people put the finishing touches to a sand sculpture titled London Olympic Gold Medal and Logos, at Sand Museum located in the Tottori Dune on July 20, 2012 in Tottori, Japan. Tottori Sand Museum is world's first ever sand museum and this year hosts their 5th exhibition, focusing on the theme of Great Britain as the nation celebrates hosting of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The exhibition is open to the public from April 14 to January, 2013. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images) |
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| People walk through a sunflower field in full bloom on July 18, 2012 in Sayo, Japan. Approximately 1.2 million sunflowers are planted in 24.1 hectares at six sunflower fields in the city of Sayo. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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Anti-nuclear activist carries
sunflower at a demonstration of mark to first time in 42 years that the Japan’s
electricity supply has not been derived energy from nuclear reactors at
Minami-Hotie Park on May 5 2012 Osaka, Japan. Japan's last-operating nuclear plant at Tomari village was
shut down on May 5. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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A child
caries plant of tulips walk through the full bloom tulip field at Tanto Tulip
Festival on May 1, 2012 in Toyooka, Japan. Hundreds of thousands of tulips in three
hundred varieties are grown in designs and patterns for the festival. (Photo by
Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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| People row a boat under cherry blossoms at Sakuranomiya Park on April 9, 2012 in Osaka, Japan. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| A sand replica titled 'British Literature William Shakespeare ' at Sand Museum located in the Tottori Dune on April 1, 2012 in Tottori, Japan. The 5th exhibition hosted by the world's first ever sand museum is focusing on the theme of 'Great Britain' as the nation celebrates it's hosting of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The exhibition is open to the public from April 14 through January, 2013 with fourteen foreign sculptors creating structures based on British themes such as the British Empire, Modern London and landmarks of London. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| A 19-year-old Japanese macaque monkey named Monday scratches her eyes while suffering an allergy to pollen from the cedar tree, at Awajishima Monkey Center on March 26, 2012 in Sumoto, Hyogo, Japan. Some twenty monkeys are suffering the effects of hay fever at this time of the year, with the typical symptoms being the same as with humans. Japanese government had plant cedar tree nationwide after the World War II for restore the nation’s forest. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| Children perform in a traditional Kabuki during the Nanko-Kabuki Festival at an outdoor Kabuki theater on March 25, 2012 in Sayo, Japan. Elementary and junior high school students from three children's Kabuki clubs performed three old Kabuki dramas to mark the repair of the Nanko-Kabuki outdoor theater,115 years after the traditional theater was built in 1841. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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| Police officers stand guard during a demonstration against the use of nuclear power on the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2012 in Osaka, Japan. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami left 15,848 dead and 3,305 missing according to Japan's National Police Agency. Thousands of people still remain homeless and live in temporary dwellings. The Japanese government faces an uphill battle with the need to dispose of rubble and work toward economic recovery. Across the country people are taking part in ceremonies to pay respects to the people who lost their lives. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe) |
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A general view of Mihama nuclear power
station No 1 reactor (R), No 2 reactor (C) and No 3 reactor (L) which is run by
Kansai Electric Power Co, on March 8, 2012 in Mihama, Japan. Only two of
Japan's 54 nuclear reactors are online 12 months after last year's March 11
earthquake and tsunami. Many of the reactors have been stopped for regular
maintenance during which official stress tests are being conducted. (Photo by
Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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Sumo wrestlers attend a morning practice
session in preparation for the Grand Sumo Tournament at Yamasaka Shrine on
March 3, 2012 in Osaka, Japan. The Osaka Grand Sumo Spring Tournament, known as
the 'Rough Spring Tournament' will commence on March 11, until its conclusion
on March 25 at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe)
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