HYOGO, Mar 29, 2024 (News On Japan) - World Heritage Site Himeji Castle has confirmed the blooming of cherry blossoms since Friday morning, with enough of the pink petals to satisfy lucky visitors.
Warm weather is sparking the arrival of the cherry blossom season across the Kinki region, with temperatures akin to those typically seen in late April to early May.
Source: YOMIURI
A very strong Typhoon No. 18 is moving west-northwest over waters south of Japan and is forecast to pass near Minamidaito Island on August 25 before approaching Okinawa and the Amami Islands, raising concerns over prolonged violent winds and heavy rain. As of 9 a.m. on August 24, the typhoon was moving west-northwest at 35 kilometers per hour while maintaining very strong intensity.
Lawson plans to cut prices on its main line of onigiri rice balls by 10 yen from September 29 as falling rice prices begin to feed through to retail costs.
Kyoto is stepping up efforts to capture Japan's growing nighttime economy, with Toei Kyoto Studio Park extending its hours to 9 p.m., a new theater drawing visitors near Kyoto Station and nighttime tours expanding in Gion as the city seeks to encourage tourists to stay out longer and explore more areas after dark.
A 39-year-old woman from Taiwan has been arrested on suspicion of pouring an oil-like liquid on the national treasure Buddha Footprint Stone at Yakushiji Temple in Nara in April, police said.
Japan executed 58-year-old death row inmate Sunao Takami on August 21 for setting fire to a pachinko parlor in Osaka in 2009, killing five people and injuring 10 others, in the first execution carried out under the Takaichi administration.
Air travel in Okinawa is beginning to be disrupted by the approach of Typhoon No. 18, with All Nippon Airways canceling 119 flights and more than 20,000 passengers expected to be affected.
The whistle of a steam locomotive still echoes through the mountains of Engaru in northeastern Hokkaido, where the historic Amemiya No. 21 continues to run through a region once sustained by forestry.
A foreign tourist was injured after being attacked by a bear near an observation deck on the shore of Lake Towada in Towada, Aomori Prefecture, on August 22, suffering a bite to his right arm and a bruised right shoulder.
A 56-year-old woman who was swept away by a flash flood while climbing a mountain stream in Minakami, Gunma Prefecture, was rescued alive on August 17 after surviving eight days in the remote mountains with a broken heel, relying on food she had brought with her, stream water and her knowledge of the area until anglers found her sitting on a forest road.
The measures were introduced in response to concerns over reckless climbing, including attempts to reach the summit without staying overnight at a mountain hut or taking sufficient rest. Under the current system, climbers who do not have reservations are restricted from beginning their ascent after 2 p.m., helping discourage people from climbing through the night without adequate preparation.
A pond at Inokashira Park, a popular destination in Tokyo's Kichijoji area, has turned a striking matcha-like green, a phenomenon that has become particularly noticeable in 2026 and is believed to be caused by an accumulation of phytoplankton.
Japan welcomed a record 3.44 million foreign visitors in July, the highest figure ever recorded for the month, even as the number of travelers from China fell sharply from a year earlier.
Plans to bring Shinkansen service to Shikoku have taken a significant step forward for the first time in 53 years, with the transport ministry beginning preliminary studies that could eventually cut travel times from Osaka to major cities including Tokushima, Takamatsu and Matsuyama to around 90 minutes.
