Society

Heavy snow snarls travel in Japan during year-end holidays

Jan 01 (Japan Times) - A massive winter storm was expected to dump nearly a meter of snow on some parts of Japan, snarling transport during a peak travel period over the New Year holiday when many people are on the move to be with their families.

Scores of flights were canceled, warnings were issued of possible highway closures and trains delayed by the storm Friday that caused the Japan Meteorological Agency to post a snow advisory for a large parts of the western and northern coasts.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said as much as 80 centimeters of snow was expected to fall in some northern parts of the main island of Honshu by 6 a.m. Saturday and warned of traffic disruptions in several parts of the country due to accumulated snow and frozen road surfaces.

A total of 54 domestic flights had been canceled as of about 1 p.m. Friday, affecting 5,100 passengers, ANA Holdings Inc.’s unit said in a statement. Japan Airlines said in a tweet Friday morning that its flights “may experience irregular operations,” due to the weather.

Central Japan Railway Co., which operates high-speed trains between Tokyo and Osaka, said snowfall caused some delays in service. The Tokyo region is expected to avoid the worst of the storm, but some neighboring prefectures could see as much as 70 cm of snowfall, the weather agency said.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

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Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

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Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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