Tokyo Metro has completed the installation of platform screen doors at all of its 180 stations, marking a major milestone in passenger safety measures across its network. (News On Japan)

A traditional cherry blossom viewing event was held at the World Heritage site Himeji Castle on March 28th, as visitors gathered to enjoy the first blooms of the season against the backdrop of the castle’s striking white walls. (News On Japan)

A series of new attractions are set to open across Tokyo on March 28th, including a world-class fountain show in Odaiba and a large-scale commercial complex offering gourmet experiences in central Tokyo, as the city rolls out new destinations aimed at drawing springtime visitors. (News On Japan)

Cherry blossoms across Japan are reaching their peak, drawing crowds to scenic spots nationwide as Tokyo’s blooms approach full bloom. (News On Japan)

The Edo-Tokyo Museum unveiled a series of newly installed and renovated exhibits to the media on March 25th following the completion of a large-scale refurbishment that lasted four years, marking a major transformation of one of the capital’s key cultural institutions ahead of its reopening on March 31st. (News On Japan)

Railway operators across Japan’s Kanto region have launched a new service allowing passengers to travel using contactless credit card payments, enabling seamless transfers across multiple rail lines operated by 11 companies and covering more than 700 stations. (News On Japan)

Japan’s first cargo-only shinkansen began operations on March 23rd, aiming to significantly expand transport capacity and help address a growing shortage of truck drivers. (News On Japan)

Reports of cherry blossoms blooming continued to arrive from across Japan on March 24th, with Kofu City in Yamanashi Prefecture declaring the nation’s earliest full bloom, marking the long-awaited start of the spring viewing season. (News On Japan)

Animal cafes offering close interaction with a wide range of animals beyond dogs and cats are rapidly increasing in Tokyo’s Harajuku district, particularly along Takeshita Street, where a surge in inbound tourism is driving demand and even creating venues where nearly all customers are foreign visitors. (News On Japan)

A deer believed to have come from Nara Park has remained in a park in central Osaka, prompting city officials to urge residents to keep their distance as they monitor the situation. (News On Japan)

A long-held perception that overnight highway buses are inexpensive but exhausting is being challenged, as a regional bus operator in Japan moves to redefine long-distance travel with the country’s first fully flat sleeper seats. (News On Japan)

The Imperial Palace’s Inui Street opened to the public for its annual spring viewing on March 21st, drawing around 18,000 visitors under clear skies as cherry blossoms began to bloom across Tokyo. (News On Japan)

A surge in fuel prices is set to hit travel demand during Japan’s major holiday period, with airlines across Asia moving to raise fares and impose higher fuel surcharges, while in Japan, domestic carriers are maintaining current surcharge levels for now but are expected to implement significant fare increases from June onward, particularly during the peak summer travel season. (News On Japan)

Cherry blossoms bloomed in Tokyo on March 19th, arriving five days earlier than the seasonal average and marking the start of the spring season in the capital. (News On Japan)

Hakuba Village in Nagano Prefecture, long regarded as a mecca for skiing and snowboarding and crowded with inbound tourists during winter, has faced a persistent challenge in attracting visitors during the quieter summer months. (News On Japan)

A donkey pulls a handcart while a man walks quietly beside it, as former newspaper reporter Kotaro Takada, 36, and his partner, an 8-year-old male donkey named Kusatsune, make their way along the Sea of Japan coast on a 900-kilometer journey from Yakumo in southern Hokkaido to Chiba, selling handmade "donkey salt" produced using deep-sea water from the Sea of Japan. (News On Japan)

Authorities in Matsumae Town in southern Hokkaido conducted a brown bear response drill on March 18th, simulating a scenario in which a bear wanders into a residential area, as police, firefighters and local hunters worked together to confirm coordination procedures and response steps. (News On Japan)

Deer, one of Nara’s most enduring symbols and animals that have been protected for more than 1,300 years as sacred messengers of the gods, are now beginning to move beyond Nara Park and even beyond Nara Prefecture, raising new questions about what is driving the unusual migration. (News On Japan)

JR East unveiled Japan’s first dedicated freight Shinkansen in Tokyo on March 17th, marking a new step in the use of high-speed rail for logistics. (News On Japan)

Cherry blossom season has begun, with flowering officially announced in Kochi and Gifu, and past records suggest that even people with hay fever may still be able to enjoy the blossoms at their peak. (News On Japan)