A large discount retailer Don Quijote has opened its first inbound-focused specialty store in the Kansai region in Kyoto City, aiming to better serve the growing number of overseas visitors. (News On Japan)

JR East and Japan Airlines have signed a partnership agreement aimed at regional revitalization and revealed they will consider integrating tickets in the future. (News On Japan)

A traditional fire festival in which men dressed in white race down steep stone steps carrying blazing torches was held at the World Heritage-listed Kamikura Shrine in Shingu, Wakayama Prefecture, on February 6th. (News On Japan)

A new wave of high-end hotel development in Nara is accelerating as Kintetsu Miyako Hotels announced plans to open a luxury accommodation facility on former grounds of Todaiji Temple, aiming for an autumn 2028 launch. (News On Japan)

Oigawa Railway, where around half of its entire line has remained out of service for more than three years due to typhoon damage, is pressing ahead with a long and difficult recovery plan toward full reopening in the spring of 2029, as its president—known as a “local railway revival specialist”—makes a painful but strategic decision to prioritize commercially viable steam locomotives while keeping a small margin for dreams. (News On Japan)

Hokkaido’s signature winter event, the Sapporo Snow Festival, opened on February 4th across three venues in Sapporo, including Odori Park in the city’s central district, featuring more than 200 large-scale snow and ice sculptures that will be on display through February 11th as the festival marks its 76th edition. (News On Japan)

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)

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)

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)

Record-breaking snowfall has blanketed the Sea of Japan coast in northern and eastern Japan, with the Self-Defense Forces continuing snow-removal operations in Aomori Prefecture on February 3rd after being dispatched for disaster relief. (News On Japan)

ANA Holdings said it plans to expand its international flight operations by 30% by fiscal 2030 compared with current levels, with a particular focus on strengthening routes from Narita Airport after 2029, when runway extensions and new construction are scheduled to be completed. (News On Japan)

A sharp cold snap continued across the Kanto region on the morning, with more than 80% of Fukuroda Falls in Daigo, Ibaraki Prefecture, freezing over and creating an otherworldly winter scene. (News On Japan)

Nagatoro in Saitama Prefecture, widely known for its dynamic river rafting experiences, offers a very different way to enjoy the area during winter, allowing visitors to take in the dramatic Iwadatami rock formations while staying warm aboard so-called “kotatsu boats.” (News On Japan)

On January 28th and 29th, JR suspended overnight trains departing from and arriving at Sapporo Station to focus on large-scale snow removal work along the tracks after heavy snowfall, affecting around 500,000 passengers and exposing a series of operational challenges. (News On Japan)

Kyoto City has announced plans to tighten regulations on private lodging facilities, citing a steady rise in complaints related to noise and garbage. (News On Japan)

Mitsui Fudosan has announced that it will begin regular operations of electric passenger boats in April, marking what the company says will be the first scheduled service of its kind in Japan and positioning water transport as a new pillar of urban mobility tied to its real estate developments. (News On Japan)

Ever feel like your life is going at the pace of a Shinkansen? By 2026, Japan will have officially become the playground for those refusing to stay in one place. (News On Japan)

A winter pressure pattern is set to re-establish itself in the latter half of this week, allowing cold air to flow more easily into areas around Japan. The peak of the cold air is forecast for Thursday, January 29, and Friday, January 30, when snow clouds associated with the Japan Sea Polar air mass Convergence Zone (JPCZ) are expected to move inland, particularly across eastern parts of the San’in region and western Hokuriku, raising the risk of heavy snowfall. (News On Japan)

Flocks of whooper swans, often called “messengers of winter,” have arrived in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, delighting onlookers with their graceful appearance. (News On Japan)

From a hill overlooking the river mouth, countless boats could be seen floating below, their multicolored lights reflecting off the shimmering surface of the water, while the hum of engines and the voices of fishermen occasionally drifted through the night air. (News On Japan)