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July 01, 2026
 

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HOKKAIDO

North Safari Sapporo, a now-closed zoo in Hokkaido, in March 2025
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 26, 2026
Sapporo zoo operator accused of unauthorized development
The zoo, North Safari Sapporo, opened in 2005 and closed last year after the allegations came to light.
Akinosuke Owada, a graduating student at Akan Ainu Craft Center Harikiki, poses next to one of his works at the school in Kushiro, Hokkaido.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 26, 2026
Ainu craft school aims to pass on culture to students
Students in the Hokkaido center’s inaugural class are set to graduate soon, after completing their training to acquire skills of the Indigenous ethnic group.
Wakkanai Shinkin Bank’s headquarters in Wakkanai, Hokkaido
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 25, 2026
A tiny bank runs dry of borrowers as Japan’s population shrinks
Many rural banks are struggling, but for a small credit union in Hokkaido, the situation is extreme.
A warning sign is displayed in Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture, last November.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Mar 24, 2026
Spring reawakens concerns over bear encounters in Japan
Experts say that a good harvest of bear staple foods such as acorns and nuts could determine whether the number of reported bear sightings ultimately rise or fall.
The red-crowned crane has been removed from the Environment Ministry’s Red List of threatened species.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 17, 2026
Japanese crane no longer considered ‘threatened’ as population recovers
The species saw its population drop to as low as 33 in 1952 due to overhunting, but after conservation efforts about 1,200 are believed to now be living in the wild.
Concerns are mounting in the Cape Erimo area of Hokkaido, where Kuril harbor seals have been damaging fishing nets and eating catches.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Mar 16, 2026
Ministry turns to acoustic devices to stop seals from stealing fish in Hokkaido
Authorities hope the measure will protect the local fishing industry and address, in a responsible way, the problem of seals stealing salmon and mackerel from fishing nets.
The front page of The Japan Times on March 3, 1976, carries the news of a terrorist attack in Sapporo.
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
Mar 6, 2026
Japan Times 1976: Bomb explosion in Sapporo claims 2 lives, injures 85
A note left after the terrorist attack at a government building cited “imperialists” as the target.
The Manga One website by Shogakukan announced the establishment of a third-party committee over its hiring of two manga authors convicted of sexual misconduct.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 3, 2026
Publisher to investigate its hiring of two manga authors convicted of sex crimes
Shogakukan was found to have hired a manga writer convicted of sexually assaulting a woman under the age of 20 and another found guilty of indecent assault.
Students from Okinawa Prefecture speak with Hiroshi Tokuno (left) at an exchange center for the Northern Territories issue in Nemuro, Hokkaido, on Dec. 27.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Mar 2, 2026
Okinawa students visit Hokkaido to learn about disputed islands
Over 80 years after Soviet forces seized four islands from Japan, former Japanese residents remain unable to return to their hometowns.
The Austrian team at this year’s International Snow Sculpture Contest — (from left) Michelle Steinmetz, Karl Pont and Daniel Nachbaur — pose with their creation.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Feb 27, 2026
In Sapporo, snow becomes a shared language
Working in temperatures as low as minus 6 degrees Celsius, artists from around the world convened in Sapporo this February to continue a tradition 50 years running.
Masayuki Takahashi celebrates on Sunday after winning a seventh term as mayor of Kamoenai village in Hokkaido.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 24, 2026
Hokkaido village mayor backing nuclear site survey wins reelection
Masayuki Takahashi fended off two challengers to win a seventh term.
A player throws a snowball during the Showa-shinzan International Yukigassen snowball fight competition in Sobetsu, Hokkaido on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS
Feb 22, 2026
The Japanese snowball fight game vying to be an Olympic sport
The game’s federation emphasizes the “mental challenge,” as players on both teams pelt their opponents while taking cover behind shelters.
An annual national rally to demand the return of Russian-held islands off Hokkaido claimed by Japan, called the Northern Territories, is held in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN
Feb 8, 2026
Japan to continue push for restart of visits to Northern Territories
The visits, which allowed former residents to visit the graves of their ancestors on the Russian-held island, were halted for reasons including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Nippon Steel is forecasting a ¥70 billion net loss for the fiscal year through next month, up from ¥60 billion, partly due to a fire that broke out at a plant in Muroran, Hokkaido, last December.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 6, 2026
Nippon Steel projects larger full-year loss than expected
The steelmaker is now projecting a consolidated net loss of ¥70 billion as consequences of a fire at a plant in Muroran, Hokkaido, hit its bottom line.
A ski resort in Niigata Prefecture on Saturday. A month of heavy snowfall has drawn renewed interest to Japan’s ski resorts from Americans and other overseas visitors in search of fresh powder.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2026
Japan ski areas see bumper season as heavy snow draws visitors
Some ski resorts are experiencing their best snow depth in more than a decade.
Visitors to the Sapporo Snow Festival take pictures on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Feb 4, 2026
Sapporo Snow Festival opens with 210 sculptures
The 76th Sapporo Snow Festival, which runs until next Wednesday, is expected to attract over 2 million visitors, with free admission.
Among the 120 athletes representing Japan at the Milano Cortina Games are competitors raised in some of the country’s snowiest landscapes, as well as others who grew up far from dependable winter conditions.
OLYMPICS
Feb 4, 2026
The regions driving Japan’s Winter Olympic success
Some Japanese Olympians were raised in the country’s snowiest landscapes, while others grew up far from dependable winter conditions.
CRA candidate Kureha Otsuki’s campaign van. Blizzards and cold weather in Hokkaido’s 4th district has made campaigning in Otaru, a popular tourist attraction, difficult.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 3, 2026
Fiery campaigns in freezing weather: Inside Hokkaido’s No. 4 district race
Old rivals go head to head amid cold temperatures as both candidates keep a wary eye on a looming newcomer.
Shohei Ohtani and his pet dog made an appearance at last year's Sapporo Snow Festival — not in person but as some of the snow sculptures that make the event an international draw.
LIFE
Jan 31, 2026
How to enjoy the Sapporo Snow Festival like a local
Snow, cold and crowds make Sapporo’s marquee winter event, running this year from Feb. 4 to 11, a must-see for travelers everywhere.
Deep snow at Iyahiko Shrine in central Sapporo on Monday
JAPAN
Jan 26, 2026
Heavy snow continues to batter northern Japan
Thousands of travelers have been left stranded by transportation disruptions caused by above-average snowfall.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
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