The new images come as a deadline for the broader release of documents held by the US government looms.

A volcano education center at the base of Showa-Shinzan is facing an existential threat as aging facilities and deteriorating materials put decades of invaluable records at risk. (News On Japan)

A mass of cold air on December 4th brought midwinter-level temperatures across Hokkaido, sending the entire region below freezing and prompting warnings of heavy snow and blizzard conditions along the Sea of Japan coast. (News On Japan)

Archaeological surveys conducted in Gose City, Nara Prefecture, have uncovered additional burial remains that, when combined with previously excavated sites in the area, have revealed what is now understood to be the largest communal cemetery ever found in the prefecture. (News On Japan)

The long-term interest rate briefly reached its highest level in 18 and a half years when the yield on the newly issued 10-year Japanese government bond rose to 1.910 percent on the Tokyo bond market on December 4th, reflecting speculation that the Bank of Japan will move toward an additional rate hike sooner rather than later while concerns over fiscal deterioration under the Taichi administration’s expansionary spending continue to drive selling of government bonds. (News On Japan)

The amount of property left behind by deceased individuals with no legal heirs and subsequently transferred to the state reached a record 129.1 billion yen in fiscal 2024, highlighting a steady rise in unclaimed estates as Japan’s population ages. (News On Japan)

The US president hopes that a peace deal will pave the way for greater American investment in the resource-rich region.