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July 12, 2026
 

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HOKKAIDO

CRA candidate Kureha Otsuki’s campaign van. Blizzards and cold weather in Hokkaido’s 4th district has made campaigning in Otaru, a popular tourist attraction, difficult.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 3, 2026
Fiery campaigns in freezing weather: Inside Hokkaido’s No. 4 district race
Old rivals go head to head amid cold temperatures as both candidates keep a wary eye on a looming newcomer.
Shohei Ohtani and his pet dog made an appearance at last year's Sapporo Snow Festival — not in person but as some of the snow sculptures that make the event an international draw.
LIFE
Jan 31, 2026
How to enjoy the Sapporo Snow Festival like a local
Snow, cold and crowds make Sapporo’s marquee winter event, running this year from Feb. 4 to 11, a must-see for travelers everywhere.
Deep snow at Iyahiko Shrine in central Sapporo on Monday
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2026
Heavy snow continues to batter northern Japan
Thousands of travelers have been left stranded by transportation disruptions caused by above-average snowfall.
A large-scale solar project near Hokkaido's Kushiro Wetlands is driving a surge in land donations to a local environmental trust, as residents try to keep their property out of the hands of developers.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Jan 26, 2026
Land donations surge near Kushiro Wetlands amid megasolar controversy
A local environmental trust has seen a large uptick in land donations from residents seeking to keep their property out of developers’ hands.
Cold-weather tips that work in Western countries usually need some tweaks to keep you cozy in Japan's winter months.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jan 22, 2026
Don’t let Japan’s next winter storm catch you cold
Not used to snow and frigid temperatures now pummelling the Sea of Japan coast? Learn how to keep yourself warm until balmier temperatures return.
Asahikawa, Hokkaido, in 2013 after a major storm. Much of Japan, including Hokkaido, is forecast to receive heavy snows starting Wednesday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jan 20, 2026
Sea of Japan side of Honshu likely to be hit by heavy snowfall
Hokkaido and parts of Japan’s Pacific coast could also be affected.
Workers in Sapporo's Odori Park prepare for the annual Snow Festival, which will take place during next month's Lower House campaign and Feb. 8 election.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 20, 2026
Snap election in February presents wintry challenges in Hokkaido
Subfreezing temperatures and snowfall may prevent candidates from meeting voters in person, while a snowstorm on election day could mean a low voter turnout.
A Japanese government panel says the probability of a magnitude 7.8-8.5 earthquake occurring along the Chishima Trench off the city of Nemuro, Hokkaido, within the next 30 years has risen to about 90% from around 80%.
JAPAN
Jan 16, 2026
Hokkaido megaquake probability rises to around 90%, says panel
The panel estimated the probability of an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8-8.5 occurring along the Chishima Trench off the city of Nemuro in Hokkaido within 30 years.
What appeared to be a bear's footprint was found in Akkeshi, Hokkaido, on Jan. 1.
JAPAN
Jan 15, 2026
Bear sightings in Japan continue into 2026
A slew of sightings, mainly in the Tohoku region, includes reports of collisions with vehicles and damage to property.
A weather map shows snow depths in Hokkaido on Tuesday night
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2026
Hundreds of passengers stranded at Hokkaido airport after severe blizzard
Snowfall prompted the cancellation of 126 flights on Tuesday, with inbound and outbound flights having since resumed.
Police have arrested the 49-year-old operator of a bar in the town of Hidaka, Hokkaido, after a woman’s body was found concealed inside the establishment's wall.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 13, 2026
Man held after body found inside wall of bar he ran in Hokkaido
A woman’s body was concealed inside the wall of the bar for days while the operator continued serving customers, according to local media.
A parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Self-Defense Forces in Tokyo in November 2024.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 9, 2026
Japanese government ordered to pay damages over SDF officer’s suicide
In the lawsuit filed with the Sapporo District Court, the mother of the 19-year-old GSDF member was awarded ¥1.1 million in damages.
A woman wearing traditional Japanese attire enjoys horseback riding on a native Dosanko horse on Dec. 5 in Kashiwara, Osaka Prefecture.
JAPAN
Jan 8, 2026
Horse park in Osaka aims to protect Japanese breed
The park offers opportunities for people to experience riding a Dosanko Japanese horse while wearing traditional Japanese clothing, including armor.
An image of an integrated resort to be constructed on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2025
Japan to begin selection process for new casino resort sites
Under the integrated resort implementation law, up to three locations can host integrated resort facilities, leaving two slots available.
A boy died at a ski resort in Otaru, Hokkaido, on Sunday after being trapped in a conveyor belt-type escalator connecting a parking lot with ski slopes.
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2025
Boy dies after becoming trapped in ski resort escalator in Hokkaido
Authorities say the boy fell near the exit of the escalator and his right arm became trapped in the belt’s turning section.
The United States has informed Japan that it hopes to expand Marine Corps live-fire training at five Ground Self-Defense Force firing ranges to include the use of heavy weapons such as antitank missiles and rocket launchers.
JAPAN
Dec 24, 2025
U.S. hoping to use heavy weapons in training at five GSDF sites
An official from the Defense Ministry said that it plans to allow the use of such weapons after obtaining the understanding of regional communities.
Earlier this month, the central government announced plans to introduce a system that would require third-party organizations to verify the safety of megasolar projects before construction begins.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Dec 22, 2025
Hokkaido governor sharpens stance against megasolar development
Gov. Naomichi Suzuki’s decision to toughen up on the sector comes amid growing local backlash against several projects in Hokkaido.
A diver checks on sea urchins at revived moba seaweed beds in Shakotan, Hokkaido.
JAPAN
Dec 22, 2025
Local governments working with fishers to save seaweed forests
The town of Shakotan in Hokkaido launched efforts to revive the rich ocean greenery after marine forests in its coastal areas were destroyed 15 years ago.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ghost of Yotei and Assassin’s Creed Shadows were among the most prominent video games of 2025 to draw heavily on Japanese aesthetics, history and genre traditions.
LIFE / Digital / 2025 IN REVIEW
Dec 19, 2025
In 2025, Japan became the canvas for the year’s best video games
From Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to Ghost of Yotei, Japan served as both inspiration and setting for many of the year’s most notable releases.
An electronic road sign posts an advisory for subsequent quakes in Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture, last Wednesday, after the first such advisory was issued the previous day.
JAPAN
Dec 16, 2025
Japan lifts quake advisory but urges continued caution
The Japan Meteorological Agency says there is still a possibility of a sudden, massive earthquake, despite the lifting of the advisory.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
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