News On Japan

Japan's Longest Pedestrian Suspension Bridge Opens Over Lake Biwa

SHIGA - A 220-meter suspension bridge billed as the longest of its type in Japan opened at Biwako Valley in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on September 14, offering visitors panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and Lake Biwa.

The new Sky Bridge spans an area of the mountain at an elevation of about 1,100 meters, where the Biwako Terrace observation area is located.

The bridge is notable for having no supporting piers or towers, structures that are normally required to support a suspension bridge. At 220 meters long, it is the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in Japan without such supporting structures.

Although poor weather on September 14 limited the views during the opening ceremony, visitors can enjoy an unobstructed panorama of the mountains and Lake Biwa in clear conditions.

Biwako Valley, which operates the attraction, said it hopes people of all ages will enjoy the spectacular scenery while walking across the bridge.

Source: YOMIURI

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Japan experienced its coldest morning of the season on October 29th, with temperatures falling to new seasonal lows at 616 observation stations nationwide, following a powerful outbreak of cold air that brought the first snow to northern Japan and strong winter winds to Tokyo and western regions the previous day.

Typhoon No. 31, a very strong storm currently moving west near Minamitorishima Island in the western Pacific, could change direction several times in early November and potentially approach Japan's Ogasawara Islands, with its eventual path depending largely on the strength and position of a high-pressure system over the Japanese mainland, according to a forecast updated at 6 a.m. on October 29.

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck northeastern Chiba Prefecture at around 12:07 a.m. on October 29, registering a maximum intensity of 5-lower on Japan's seven-level seismic scale and sending tremors across a wide area of eastern and central Japan, including Narita Airport, where footage captured the moment of shaking.

GMO has announced a reward totaling approximately 150 million yen for information leading to the identification of hackers responsible for a cyberattack on its systems, while also pledging compensation to customers whose personal information has been exposed, as Japan faces a growing wave of cyberattacks targeting major companies.

A controversial penalty shootout decision during the Tokyo qualifiers for Japan's National High School Soccer Championship on October 24 has sparked debate after a team that believed it had secured victory was forced to continue playing and eventually lost, raising questions about whether a hole in the goal net contributed to an incorrect ruling.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Travel NEWS

Japan's first significant snowfall of the season has brought winter conditions to Hokkaido and northern Honshu, with snow depths exceeding 10 centimeters in several mountain and inland locations on October 28, while a fresh wave of cold air is expected to bring further snowfall over the weekend of October 31 and November 1.

Osaka's iconic Tsutenkaku Tower celebrated the 70th anniversary of its reopening on October 28, marking seven decades since the landmark was rebuilt in 1956 as a symbol of the city's postwar recovery, while new attractions continue to draw visitors to the surrounding Shinsekai entertainment district.

Japan will introduce a major overhaul of its tax-free shopping system for foreign visitors on November 1, replacing immediate tax exemptions at stores with a refund system that requires travelers to pay the full consumption tax upfront and claim reimbursement when leaving the country, a change expected to reshape retail strategies and purchasing behavior across the tourism industry.

Heavy rain linked to former Typhoon No. 30 continued to affect large parts of Japan on October 26, with authorities warning of potentially dangerous rainfall from the Kanto region to Shikoku, raising concerns in Chiba Prefecture's Shisui Town, where flooding caused by Typhoon No. 25 last month left homes and roads submerged for nearly three weeks.

Asuka Village in Nara Prefecture is introducing new measures to control rising visitor numbers following the July 2026 World Heritage registration of the 'Asuka-Fujiwara: Archaeological Sites of Japan's Ancient Capitals,' seeking to protect its historic landscapes and residents' daily lives while benefiting from growing international interest.

The underground platform of the planned Kanagawa Prefecture Station on Japan's Chuo Shinkansen maglev line was opened to the public for the first time on October 24, offering visitors a rare glimpse of the high-speed railway project under construction in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, with demand for the tour exceeding available places by approximately 12 times.

Japan marked the final Sunday of October with traditional autumn events across the country on October 25, including a spectacular water discharge drill at the World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture, a seasonal salmon feast in Miyagi Prefecture, and a parade of northeastern Japan's most famous festivals in Tokyo, despite widespread rain caused by a stationary autumn rain front.

The Northern Alps in central Japan have entered the height of their autumn colors, with the alpine landscape around Tateyama's Murodo Plateau in Toyama Prefecture offering spectacular views of red and yellow vegetation, rugged mountain ridges and the rare Japanese rock ptarmigan, a protected bird species whose survival depends on the delicate balance of the mountain ecosystem.