New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido was effectively cut off by record snowfall, leaving around 7,000 people stranded overnight after rail and bus services were suspended, severing key transport links and disrupting daily life. (News On Japan)

Airport quarantine inspectors in Japan are repeatedly finding prohibited foods hidden inside souvenirs, from pork and chicken products to fruit and even vegetable seeds, as travelers return from overseas unaware that strict import rules apply. (News On Japan)

Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo’s twin pandas, Xiaoxiao and Leilei, were seen for the last time in Japan on January 25th, after it was decided they will be returned to China. (News On Japan)