The Hirayu Great Falls Ice Festival will begin on February 15th in the Okuhida Onsen area of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, where a massive frozen waterfall is illuminated during the winter months to create a fantastical nighttime scene. (News On Japan)

A trip to Japan feels smoother when you understand what is happening beyond guidebooks and travel blogs. (News On Japan)

A ceremonial “whirlpool opening” was held in the Naruto Strait on February 15th, between Naruto City in Tokushima Prefecture and Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture, marking the start of the spring tourism season, with massive whirlpools forming beneath the Onaruto Bridge that spans the strait. (News On Japan)

China’s week-long Lunar New Year holiday began on February 15th, marking the start of the longest Spring Festival break on record at nine days. (News On Japan)

Long lines have been forming daily outside the Japanese Embassy in Russia as people seek tourist visas to visit Japan, with an unprecedented boom in travel interest despite Moscow designating Japan an “unfriendly nation” over sanctions related to the Ukraine invasion. (News On Japan)