New Chitose Airport is transforming into a destination for travelers and local visitors alike after passenger numbers reached a record 26 million in 2025, with new direct flights to North America, upgraded security facilities and a major anime-themed commercial area planned for summer 2027. (News On Japan)

Record-breaking rainfall continued across the Hokuriku region on Saturday, with Himi City in Toyama Prefecture receiving more than 500 millimeters over 72 hours, as authorities warned of further heavy rain, landslides and river flooding through August 30. (News On Japan)

Severe thunderstorms brought torrential rain, lightning, hail and a tornado to Hokkaido on August 28, disrupting rail and air travel and leaving some passengers stranded overnight at New Chitose Airport, as unstable atmospheric conditions triggered intense downpours across Japan. (News On Japan)

JR Kyushu plans to restore full service on the Kyushu Shinkansen from the first train on September 18, nearly two months after the Kumamoto earthquake caused extensive damage to tracks and stations and forced the suspension of services on part of the line. (News On Japan)

Bear sightings are increasing across Japan this summer as a shortage of food in the mountains drives the animals closer to areas where people live and visit, with authorities in Aomori Prefecture closing a lookout near Lake Towada after a foreign tourist was attacked. (News On Japan)

United Airlines announced on August 25 that it will launch direct flights between San Francisco and Okinawa from March 27, 2027, as the U.S. carrier seeks to capture growing demand for travel to Japan. (News On Japan)

ANA Holdings' All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines will begin coordinating departure times on the Haneda-Okayama route from October 25, an unusual move by Japan's two largest airline groups as weak business travel, a weaker yen and rising fuel and labor costs put increasing pressure on domestic operations. (News On Japan)

Haneda Airport has unveiled a new boarding area at Terminal 1 that will begin operations in September, featuring extensive wood interiors and self-driving transportation within the facility. (News On Japan)

A new 220-meter pedestrian suspension bridge has been completed at Biwako Valley in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, offering visitors sweeping views of Lake Biwa from mountains about 1,100 meters above sea level. (News On Japan)

Police have established a temporary police post in the whaling town of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, ahead of the September 1 opening of the annual drive hunt for whales and dolphins. (News On Japan)

Air travel in Okinawa is beginning to be disrupted by the approach of Typhoon No. 18, with All Nippon Airways canceling 119 flights and more than 20,000 passengers expected to be affected. (News On Japan)

Kyoto is stepping up efforts to capture Japan's growing nighttime economy, with Toei Kyoto Studio Park extending its hours to 9 p.m., a new theater drawing visitors near Kyoto Station and nighttime tours expanding in Gion as the city seeks to encourage tourists to stay out longer and explore more areas after dark. (News On Japan)

The whistle of a steam locomotive still echoes through the mountains of Engaru in northeastern Hokkaido, where the historic Amemiya No. 21 continues to run through a region once sustained by forestry. (News On Japan)

A foreign tourist was injured after being attacked by a bear near an observation deck on the shore of Lake Towada in Towada, Aomori Prefecture, on August 22, suffering a bite to his right arm and a bruised right shoulder. (News On Japan)

A 56-year-old woman who was swept away by a flash flood while climbing a mountain stream in Minakami, Gunma Prefecture, was rescued alive on August 17 after surviving eight days in the remote mountains with a broken heel, relying on food she had brought with her, stream water and her knowledge of the area until anglers found her sitting on a forest road. (News On Japan)

The measures were introduced in response to concerns over reckless climbing, including attempts to reach the summit without staying overnight at a mountain hut or taking sufficient rest. Under the current system, climbers who do not have reservations are restricted from beginning their ascent after 2 p.m., helping discourage people from climbing through the night without adequate preparation. (News On Japan)

A pond at Inokashira Park, a popular destination in Tokyo's Kichijoji area, has turned a striking matcha-like green, a phenomenon that has become particularly noticeable in 2026 and is believed to be caused by an accumulation of phytoplankton. (News On Japan)

Japan welcomed a record 3.44 million foreign visitors in July, the highest figure ever recorded for the month, even as the number of travelers from China fell sharply from a year earlier. (News On Japan)

Plans to bring Shinkansen service to Shikoku have taken a significant step forward for the first time in 53 years, with the transport ministry beginning preliminary studies that could eventually cut travel times from Osaka to major cities including Tokushima, Takamatsu and Matsuyama to around 90 minutes. (News On Japan)

Tokyo Metro has unveiled its new headquarters ahead of a full relocation at the end of August, featuring an open office design filled with route symbols, station names and other elements inspired by the subway network. (News On Japan)