Travel

Volcanic Alert Raised to Level 2 in Gunma

GUNMA, Aug 05 (News On Japan) - The Japan Meteorological Agency has raised the volcanic alert level for the area around Mt. Shirane and the Yugama crater on the Gunma side of Mt. Kusatsu-Shirane to Level 2, restricting access near the crater due to an increase in volcanic earthquakes.

Volcanic activity has intensified since the afternoon of August 3rd, prompting the agency to raise the alert level before 6 a.m. on August 4th from Level 1, which advises awareness of an active volcano, to Level 2, which restricts entry near the crater.

Authorities warn that within approximately one kilometer of the Yugama crater, there is a risk of large volcanic rocks being ejected.

Following the elevation of the alert level, a section of the Shiga Kusatsu Road—connecting Gunma and Nagano prefectures—has been closed to traffic between Manza-sansaro and Sessho, affecting travel in the region.

Source: TBS

Father Says He Killed Son After Driving Him To School

The father arrested in connection with the abandonment of his son's body in Nantan, Kyoto Prefecture, has told investigators he killed the boy at another location after driving him toward elementary school, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

Typhoon No. 4 Moves North Southeast of Ogasawara Islands

On April 18, Large Typhoon No. 4 (Sinlaku) was moving north over waters southeast of the Ogasawara Islands, bringing a risk of high waves, swells and strong winds to surrounding areas as it was expected to gain speed and gradually turn northeast, moving farther away from the islands in the coming days.

Nagano Rocked by Successive Strong Quakes

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

Father Admits Killing and Body Abandonment in Kyoto

Police investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy whose body was found in a forest in Kyoto Prefecture believe his father moved the remains between several locations over a number of days in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime.

Strong Typhoon Raises High Surf Risk for Pacific Areas of Japan This Weekend

A large and powerful Typhoon No. 4, internationally named Sinlaku, was located near the Mariana Islands and moving north-northeast as of the latest update. The storm is expected to gradually shift its course eastward and pass southeast of the Ogasawara Islands around April 18, before making its closest approach around April 19.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Travel NEWS

Nara Turns To Hot Springs To Heat Up Tourism

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.

Kofukuji Begins Once-in-a-Century Repair

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.

Japan Names 40C-Plus Days

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.

New Shinkansen 'Doctor S' to Succeed Doctor Yellow

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.

Japan Sees Record Tourist Numbers

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.