Shirarahama First Beach to Open on Honshu

A rare white orca has been filmed off the coast of Rausu in Hokkaido's Shiretoko region, marking its first reported sighting in about two years.

A Tokyo-based company planning to open a new zoo using animals from North Safari Sapporo, which closed in 2025, has established a new company to take over the facility's animals and employees.

A male Asiatic black bear that appeared at Amanohashidate, one of Japan's Three Scenic Views, in Kyoto Prefecture was captured after prompting the temporary closure of the popular tourist destination and surrounding area, authorities said.

The economic impact generated by Junglia Okinawa during its first six months of operation reached 32.2 billion yen, according to a report released by Ryugin Research Institute.

As Japan enters the rainy season, a period traditionally considered a slow time for tourism, travelers are finding new opportunities to enjoy discounted trips, with destinations such as Atami gaining popularity and local governments offering travel subsidies and weather-linked promotions.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced that an El Niño phenomenon is believed to have developed this spring, warning that Japan is likely to experience above-average temperatures nationwide this summer despite the climate pattern's traditional association with cooler summers.

Narita International Airport Corporation is expected to announce next month that it will apply to the national government for project certification as part of the process to enable compulsory land acquisition for the construction of a new runway at Narita Airport, according to sources familiar with the matter.

A newly formed tropical depression near Taiwan on June 9th is expected to intensify the seasonal rain front lingering over southwestern Japan, raising the risk of warning-level rainfall across Okinawa and the Amami Islands through around June 11th.