Once a thriving canal, Kyoto’s Takase River, which flows through the Kiyamachi entertainment district in central Kyoto, has completed a long-running restoration project after 15 years, reviving a waterway that prospered during the Edo period as a key link between the city center and Fushimi. (News On Japan)

A man wanted by police was arrested in Motobu, Okinawa Prefecture, after fleeing his vehicle and attempting to escape on foot, prompting a dramatic chase involving four officers that ended with his capture on suspicion of selling stolen tools worth about 100,000 yen. (News On Japan)

A Thai girl who was 12 at the time arrived in Japan in June last year and was introduced by her mother to a massage parlor in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward, where she was illegally made to work and provide sexual services, with Thai police officials indicating that six people, both Japanese and Thai, are suspected of being involved. (News On Japan)

An annual Setsubun ceremony was held on February 3rd at Naritasan Shinshoji temple in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, drawing large crowds as actors Taiga Nakano and Sei Shiraishi joined sumo grand champions Toyoshoryu and Onosato on stage to scatter small bags filled with peanuts and soybeans, praying for an abundant harvest and good fortune while worshippers below raised their voices and reached out eagerly for the offerings. (News On Japan)

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said agricultural, forestry and fishery products and food exports totaled 1.7005 trillion yen in 2025, up 12.8 percent from a year earlier, marking a record high for the 13th consecutive year (News On Japan)

Two Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members stationed at the Yao Garrison were dismissed from service after being found to have used cannabis, with the case coming to light after a colleague raised concerns and reported the matter to a superior. (News On Japan)

China’s major holiday period, the Lunar New Year, is set to begin soon, with a record 9.5 billion passenger journeys forecast nationwide this year, but an unexpected shift has emerged as travel to Japan, which typically ranks among the top overseas destinations during the holiday, has dropped out of the rankings entirely. (News On Japan)

A dry weather advisory has been in effect in central Tokyo for 14 consecutive days, and as of February 2nd, no significant rainfall had fallen for a full month since January 2nd. (News On Japan)

A vehicle believed to have been used in an attempted robbery at Haneda Airport has been found on a riverbed in Kanagawa Prefecture, with investigators suspecting that the perpetrators attempted to destroy evidence by spraying the car with a pink fire extinguisher. (News On Japan)

The Sapporo Snow Festival is set to open on February 4, with final preparations completed despite record-breaking snowfall in the city. (News On Japan)

Tokyo’s net in-migration, defined as the number of people moving in exceeding those moving out, declined for the first time in four years last year, even as population inflows into the capital have remained elevated since the COVID-19 pandemic. (News On Japan)