Ski areas across Japan are gradually opening for the winter season as fresh snow settles along mountain regions, with JR SKISKI releasing its weekly outlook that highlights changing weather patterns and early-season conditions. Snow was already falling in mountainous areas at the start of the week, and while the weather is expected to shift periodically in the days ahead, many resorts are reporting enough new snow for visitors to enjoy their first runs of the season. (News On Japan)

A rare winter spectacle known as Diamond Fuji, in which the sun rises directly from the summit of Mount Fuji, illuminated the skies over the Takashimo district of Fujikawa Town in Yamanashi Prefecture on the morning of December — a seasonal scene that can be viewed only for a short period through early January. (News On Japan)

Ueno Zoo’s panda will be returned to China in late January, according to an announcement made by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on December 15th, prompting long lines at the zoo on the morning of December 16th as visitors gathered to catch a final glimpse and shared their sadness over the approaching farewell. (News On Japan)

Japanese nationals were detained by local authorities on December 11th in a facility believed to be a hub for special fraud schemes in the southern Cambodian city of Sihanoukville, according to information conveyed to the Japanese embassy in Phnom Penh. (News On Japan)