NHK -- Jan 14
A winter phenomenon known as "diamond dust" has been observed in the town of Biei in the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido.
The natural phenomenon is seen when frigid temperatures cause water vapor in the air to freeze and sparkle in the sunlight.
On Sunday, many people with cameras gathered in mountainous areas of the town, where the mercury fell to minus 25.8 degrees Celsius in the morning.
They took photos of the tiny ice crystals in the air shining in the morning sunlight.
Visitors also enjoyed other winter scenes, such as frost-covered trees and a frozen river.
北海道は冷え込みが強まり、北海道旭川市ではダイヤモンドダスト現象が見られました。 空気中の水蒸気が凍り、朝日を浴びて輝いています。13日の北海道は上空に強い寒気が流れ込んだうえ、広い範囲で晴れて放射冷却の影響で冷え込みが強まりました。
Nov 14
Japan's space agency says its probe is on its way back to Earth after leaving the asteroid, Ryugu. (NHK) Nov 14
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga says the government will not hold a cherry blossom-viewing party next year, which is hosted every April by the prime minister. (NHK) Nov 14
Japanese fashion group Fast Retailing Co Ltd, owner of clothing chain Uniqlo, on Wednesday said it has partnered two robotics startups to help improve efficiency in warehousing and distribution. (Japan Today)
Nov 14
NHK has learned that a boy who was arrested for allegedly wounding a girl with a knife in northern Japan has suggested he was interested in killing someone. (NHK) Nov 14
Japanese immigration authorities say 219 foreigners were staying in Japan as of the end of September after acquiring a new type of work visa for people with vocational skills. (NHK) Nov 14
Undeterred by a huge loss on U.S. office-sharing platform WeWork, SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son has set his sights on a new big plan: building a sweeping online ecosystem akin to China's Alibaba Group Holding. (Nikkei) Nov 14
Yahoo Japan under Softbank Group and messaging app Line are negotiating toward a tie-up, according to sources close to the matter. (NHK) Nov 12
Six people, including four nursery school children, were injured Monday after a vehicle plowed into them at a pedestrian crossing in Hachioji, in western Tokyo, police said. (Japan Times) Nov 12
One month has passed since record rain brought by a strong typhoon caused extensive damage in much of Japan.
(NHK) Nov 12
Two days after he fled in Osaka Prefecture, prosecutors on Monday caught a man indicted on drug charges who escaped while being transferred to police custody after his bail was revoked. (Japan Times)