The first day of the three-day weekend on February 23rd saw Tokyo's city center experiencing its coldest day of the season with a high of just 4C. Tourist spots are beginning to see snow accumulation.

Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan are making arrangements to visit Ishikawa Prefecture late next month to console the victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake.

In the shadow of Mount Adatara in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, lies the renowned Take Hot Springs, celebrated for its "Milky Day" - a phenomenon occurring just once a week when the waters turn a cloudy white. Despite facing the severest cold wave, we followed the journey of the dedicated hot spring craftsmen, the guardians of these thermal waters, as they ventured into the snowy mountains to maintain the spring's flow.

Ito-Yokado, a supermarket chain under the umbrella of Seven & i Holdings, has announced its withdrawal from Hokkaido and the Tohoku region, signaling the closure of all its 14 stores in these areas. This strategic retreat encompasses six stores in Hokkaido and eight stores across Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures. The closures will be phased in starting this spring.

Nintendo announced on Wednesday that its net profit for April to December last year surged by 17.9% to a record 408 billion yen, bolstered by the depreciating yen which expanded its earnings.

Japan's agricultural, forestry, and fishery product exports reached an unprecedented high in 2023, for the 11th consecutive year, despite exports to China experienced a downturn due the backlash over the release of treated water in Fukushima.

The nori fishing industry in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, is thriving as efforts continue to recover production levels that declined following the Great East Japan Earthquake and nuclear disaster.

JAPAN’S nuclear power regulator on Wednesday (Dec 27) lifted an operational ban imposed on Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (Tepco) Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant two years ago, allowing it to work towards gaining local permission to restart. (Business Times)

Koriyama City in Fukushima is a vibrant urban center where old and new-world Japan is on show. The city has also made a mark in the world of spirits, with Fukushima Whisky gaining acclaim for its quality and craftsmanship (which is where our Koriyama journey begins). (Japan by Food)

A Japanese court has found three male former Ground Self-Defense Force members guilty on charges of indecent assault of a female subordinate. (NHK)

It's been 12 years since the Fukushima Nuclear disaster and the $200bn clean up effort is still ongoing. We revisit the exclusion zone for the first time in 4 years to see first hand. (Abroad in Japan)

Japan's seafood exports to China continued to fall sharply in October from a year earlier. (NHK)

Kyoto is bracing for another influx of tourists. Next to the rollout of the city administration’s ‘mind your manners’ campaign, Kyoto has terminated its popular one-day bus pass to discourage tourists from using the city’s busses. (East Asia Forum)

Top diplomats from Japan and China met for bilateral talks Saturday as they try to resolve disputes including China's ban on Japanese seafood that has badly hit Japanese exporters. (AP)

The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it finished the third round of the treated and diluted water discharge into the sea as planned. (NHK)

Japan's Environment Ministry says levels of tritium in seawater off the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant remain below detectable amounts. (NHK)

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has begun its third round of the release of treated and diluted water into the ocean from the crippled plant. (NHK)

The US military has decided to buy Japan’s seafood in bulk in an effort to offset China’s ban in the wake of the Fukushima water release. (independent.co.uk)

Trade ministers from the Group of Seven nations have called for immediately ending measures that unnecessarily restrict trade. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has started a campaign where you can enjoy sushi for 30 percent less.

On 24 August 2023, immediately after Japanese authorities released treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, China suspended all seafood imports from Japan. (East Asia Forum)

Japan criticized Russia’s announcement that it’s joining China in banning the imports of Japanese seafood in response to the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant. (AP)

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has begun its second round of the release of treated and diluted water from the crippled plant into the sea. (NHK)

An animal keeper died apparently after being attacked by a lion at a zoo in northeastern Japan, police and the facility's operator said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Tokyo Electric Power Company says it will start the second round of the release of treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean on October 5. (NHK)