A blizzard warning issued for Sapporo, Hokkaido, on February 19th brought typhoon-level gusts reaching 26 meters per second, triggering whiteout conditions, grounding flights at New Chitose Airport, suspending trains, closing 341 schools, and leaving roads, cars, and daily life buried under rapidly accumulating snow. While the main storm has weakened, hazardous conditions such as reduced visibility, icy roads, and drifting snow remained a concern into February 20th. (News On Japan)

Ski resorts in Japan are experimenting with sharply contrasting pricing strategies—from free weekday lift tickets to premium passes costing 33,000 yen—in an effort to revive a declining ski population and stimulate local economies, as operators seek new ways to attract visitors amid rising costs. (News On Japan)

JR East announced today that it will launch a new service around autumn this year allowing passengers to reserve Shinkansen seats in as little as one minute. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who launched the second Takaichi Cabinet on February 18th, signaled strong determination to secure passage of next fiscal year’s budget within the current fiscal year, even as a proposal to drastically shorten parliamentary deliberations has triggered backlash from opposition parties accusing the government of disregarding the Diet. (News On Japan)

Three adults were stabbed by a man armed with a knife inside a library in Fukuoka’s Sawara Ward on Thursday night, leaving one person seriously injured, and police arrested the suspect at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. (News On Japan)

A brutal stabbing in Osaka’s Minami district late last week left three young men wounded, one fatally, raising new questions about the changing environment around a well-known youth gathering spot beneath the Glico sign in Dotonbori. (News On Japan)