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)