News On Japan

Russian passenger ship begins Ishikawa-Vladivostok route

TOKYO - A Russian travel agency has commenced operations of a passenger ship that directly connects the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok and Nanao City in Ishikawa Prefecture.

As the movement of passenger ships is exempt from sanctions against Russia, the company plans to operate the service once a week round trip.

Connecting Vladivostok and Nanao Port takes 48 hours. The cheapest bed costs 105,000 yen one way. If this becomes a regular service, it's expected to be the only direct regular route between Japan and Russia, including air routes, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Flights between the United States and Japan face possible delays and cancellations over the weekend after a major failure of America's air traffic control communications system forced authorities to temporarily suspend departures nationwide on November 13, disrupting thousands of flights and leaving airlines struggling to restore normal operations.

The number of people taken to hospital after being injured by deer in and around Nara Park has reached a record high in 2026, with foreign tourists accounting for more than 70% of cases, prompting warnings about the dangers of approaching the wild animals during their autumn mating season.

A shrine in Gunma Prefecture has used a high-pressure cleaning drone to wash Japan's largest statue of Daikoku, cutting a maintenance job that previously took two to three weeks to just one day while reducing costs to around one-tenth of the conventional method.

The resignation of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on November 12 following allegations involving a woman suspected of links to Chinese intelligence has raised concerns in Japan over the potential impact on semiconductor investment, financial markets and the yen, as uncertainty surrounding the American AI chipmaker threatens to disrupt the global technology industry.

Japan launched a new national disaster management agency on November 2nd to strengthen its response to major emergencies, just days before a powerful earthquake struck Aichi Prefecture, injuring 24 people and renewing concerns over the possibility of a catastrophic Nankai Trough earthquake.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Travel NEWS

Visitors flocking to a popular autumn foliage destination in Kyoto's Nishikyo Ward have sparked growing concerns among residents, with photographers repeatedly stepping into the middle of busy roads to capture pictures and drivers illegally parking near bus stops and residential streets.

Universal Studios Japan (USJ) is launching its winter season events on November 13, featuring one of the largest food festivals in the park's history, with more than twice as many menu items as last year and opportunities for visitors to dine alongside popular characters.

Tokyo's Toshima Ward announced on November 11th plans to impose administrative penalties of up to 20,000 yen for street smoking and littering, extending its smoking ban to heated tobacco products as complaints about public smoking and illegal dumping continue to rise.

The ginkgo-lined avenue at Hiroshima Shudo University in Hiroshima City has reached its peak autumn color, transforming the campus into a golden landscape as trees display their brilliant yellow leaves.

A woman was seriously injured in a wild boar attack in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, as sightings of unusually large boars increase across the Kansai region, with some weighing nearly 150 kilograms and capable of running at speeds of 45 kilometers per hour.

Arriving in Japan after a long-haul flight is so exciting. But dragging a 25kg suitcase through a busy train station is less so.

Northern Japan experienced record-breaking cold on the morning of November 11th, with temperatures plunging to minus 20.2 degrees Celsius in Horokanai, Hokkaido, marking the first time in Japan's recorded history that temperatures have fallen below minus 20 degrees during the first half of November.

East Japan Railway (JR East) announced on November 10th that it will introduce touch-free ticket gates at 40 stations, including every station on Tokyo's Yamanote Line, from spring 2028, allowing passengers using Mobile Suica to pass through without taking their smartphones out of their pockets or bags.