A new sightseeing train operated by Nankai Electric Railway began service on April 24, connecting Osaka's Namba Station with Koyasan, a World Heritage site, raising expectations for regional tourism growth. (News On Japan)

Bear sightings are surging across northeastern Japan in an unusually early spring trend, prompting the fastest issuance on record of bear alerts in multiple prefectures including Aomori and Iwate. Incidents have already left a police officer seriously injured and a member of the Self-Defense Forces attacked. (News On Japan)

The planned extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo has come under renewed scrutiny after Japan's Finance Ministry said the project had reached a level at which it should, in principle, be canceled. (News On Japan)

The Nara Prison Museum, created from the former Nara Prison, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in the Meiji era, will open to the public on April 27. (News On Japan)

Japan has enacted a revised Passport Act that will sharply reduce passport application fees from July 1, as the government seeks to encourage more citizens to obtain passports. (News On Japan)

All Nippon Airways is considering introducing a fuel surcharge on domestic flights as early as the next fiscal year, amid surging fuel costs driven by tensions in the Middle East. (News On Japan)

In Nara, where inbound tourists continue to crowd major sightseeing areas, a shopping arcade slightly removed from the main attractions has achieved a striking turnaround. (News On Japan)

Footage released by the Nagano Prefectural Police mountain rescue unit captured the moment an earthquake struck during an operation to save two climbers who had fallen on a steep slope of Mount Shirouma in the Northern Alps. (News On Japan)

Rain affected parts of Japan on Tuesday morning as a low-pressure system and front moved through, bringing heavier downpours in some areas. Skies are expected to clear across much of the country this afternoon. However, yellow sand drifting in from the Asian continent is forecast to spread over a wide area, raising concerns over reduced visibility and worsening health conditions. (News On Japan)

Taxi fares in Tokyo's 23 wards, as well as Mitaka and Musashino, rose by about 10% on Monday, marking the first increase in the central Tokyo area in roughly three and a half years. (News On Japan)

JR East has launched a preview version of its new online Shinkansen booking platform, JRE GO, promising reservations in as little as one minute and easier handling of sudden schedule changes. (News On Japan)

The city of Nara is preparing to search for geothermal sources, hoping onsen facilities can help increase overnight stays in the ancient capital, where the city has long struggled to turn day-trippers into hotel guests despite being one of Japan's best-known sightseeing destinations, ranking last nationwide in annual overnight visitors in 2021 and underscoring weak tourism spending. (News On Japan)

Typhoon No. 4, Sinlaku, moved northeast on April 19 while accelerating over waters near Minamitorishima, east of the Ogasawara Islands, according to weather officials. Although the storm is rapidly moving away from Japan, rough seas are expected to persist, prompting continued caution across the island chain. (News On Japan)

A series of earthquakes struck northern Nagano Prefecture, with the strongest registering upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale. (News On Japan)

The dismantling of the upper ornament of the five-story pagoda at Kofukuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Nara, was opened to the media on April 15 as the temple undergoes its first major restoration in around 120 years. (News On Japan)

Japan already classifies days with highs of 30C or above as manatsubi (midsummer days) and those reaching 35C or above as moshobi (extremely hot days). It has now introduced a new term for days when temperatures climb to 40C or higher. (News On Japan)

JR Tokai has announced a new inspection-equipped Shinkansen named 'Doctor S', set to take over the role of the famed 'Doctor Yellow', the bright yellow bullet train affectionately known as the train that brings good luck when spotted. (News On Japan)

Spending by foreign visitors to Japan from January to March rose 2.5% from a year earlier to 2.3378 trillion yen, the Japan Tourism Agency said, marking the third-highest quarterly total on record, while the number of inbound visitors in March increased 3.5% to 3,618,900, setting a new record for the month. (News On Japan)

Passengers will be limited to carrying no more than two mobile batteries on board aircraft, with in-flight charging effectively prohibited under new regulations taking effect on April 24th, following a series of smoke and fire incidents. (News On Japan)

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route connecting Toyama and Nagano fully reopened on April 15th, marking the start of the spring tourism season along one of Japan’s most celebrated mountain routes. (News On Japan)