Nestle Japan Ltd.'s KitKat Chocolatory held a Valentine's Press Conference on Jan. 15 to launch its new Sublime Volcanic KitKat. Managing Executive Officer of the confectionary business group Cedric Lacroix (far left) poses with (from left) model Laura Yamada, professional rugby player Akihito Yamada and owner-chef of Le Patissier Takagi Yasumasa Takagi at the Maru Building, Marunochi. | YOSHIAKI MIURA
Nestle Japan Ltd.'s KitKat Chocolatory held a Valentine's Press Conference on Jan. 15 to launch its new Sublime Volcanic KitKat. Managing Executive Officer of the confectionary business group Cedric Lacroix (far left) poses with (from left) model Laura Yamada, professional rugby player Akihito Yamada and owner-chef of Le Patissier Takagi Yasumasa Takagi at the Maru Building, Marunochi. | YOSHIAKI MIURA

Masahiko Tanabe, vice-governor of Hiroshima Prefecture (left), and Keiji Abe, vice-governor of Hokkaido (center), receive a donation from Matelda Starace, chairperson of the Ikebana International Fair 2018 for victims of the torrential rains and floods in western Japan and the Hokkaido earthquake disaster at the Ikebana International 2019 New Year Luncheon at the Palace Hotel Tokyo on Jan. 16.
Masahiko Tanabe, vice-governor of Hiroshima Prefecture (left), and Keiji Abe, vice-governor of Hokkaido (center), receive a donation from Matelda Starace, chairperson of the Ikebana International Fair 2018 for victims of the torrential rains and floods in western Japan and the Hokkaido earthquake disaster at the Ikebana International 2019 New Year Luncheon at the Palace Hotel Tokyo on Jan. 16. | YOSHIAKI MIURA

Hideki Asahi, executive sales officer and manager of the media enterprise department at The Japan Times (left), and Toshiko Hasegawa, president of the Japan National Student Association Fund (right), pose for a photo with Ikebana International Tokyo Founding Chapter President Misako Ishii.
Hideki Asahi, executive sales officer and manager of the media enterprise department at The Japan Times (left), and Toshiko Hasegawa, president of the Japan National Student Association Fund (right), pose for a photo with Ikebana International Tokyo Founding Chapter President Misako Ishii. | YOSHIAKI MIURA

French Ambassador Laurent Pic (third from right) cuts a galette des rois, a cake traditionally served on Jan. 6 to celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem before Jesus' birth, with (from left), Kumamon; Japan National Team rugby player and former Galette des Rois Ambassador Hitoshi Ono; essayist Francoise Morechand; Chairman of the Japan-France Parliamentary Friendship League Nobuteru Ishihara; House of Councillors member Akiko Santo; and Galette des Rois Club President Patissier Yukio Nishino at the ambassador's residence on Jan. 16. | YOSHIAKI MIURA
French Ambassador Laurent Pic (third from right) cuts a galette des rois, a cake traditionally served on Jan. 6 to celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem before Jesus' birth, with (from left), Kumamon; Japan National Team rugby player and former Galette des Rois Ambassador Hitoshi Ono; essayist Francoise Morechand; Chairman of the Japan-France Parliamentary Friendship League Nobuteru Ishihara; House of Councillors member Akiko Santo; and Galette des Rois Club President Patissier Yukio Nishino at the ambassador's residence on Jan. 16. | YOSHIAKI MIURA