Japan's major snow festival held in Hokkaido

STORY: Japan's major snow festival held in Hokkaido DATELINE: Feb. 7, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:30 LOCATION: Tokyo CATEGORY: CULTURE/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. STANDUP (English): ZHANG XIAOYU, Xinhua correspondent 2. various of the snow festival STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): ZHANG XIAOYU, Xinhua correspondent "I am here in Sapporo, the capital city of north Japan's Hokkaido. The 73rd Sapporo Snow Festival has kicked off here and will run through Feb. 11. As one of the largest snow festivals in Japan, it's held offline for the first time in three years. By walking around the 1.5-kilometer-long venue, visitors can enjoy the charm of ice and snow." The snow festival features more than 160 snow and ice sculptures. The winter celebration was held virtually for the previous two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sculptures created by citizens include those featuring shimaenaga, a subspecies of long-tailed tits found in Hokkaido, as well as rabbits, as 2023 marks the Year of the Rabbit, according to the Chinese zodiac. Th

JAL to disband women's basketball team

JAL to disband women's basketball team

TOKYO, Japan - Yumi Iwamura (L), captain of the women's basketball team of Japan Airlines Corp., and team manager Junichi Ara (C) attend a press conference at the headquarters of the Japan Sports Association in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on March 2, 2010. JAL, currently undergoing restructuring after declaring bankruptcy, said the same day it will disband its basketball team, the JAL Rabbits, at the end of the 2010-11 season.

11 specially protected rabbits found dead on Amami-Oshima

11 specially protected rabbits found dead on Amami-Oshima

TOKYO, Japan - An Amami black rabbit on Amami-Oshima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, in a photo taken in 2004. Eleven Amami black rabbits, which are found only in Japan and designated by the state as a natural treasure, have been found dead on Amami-Oshima Island, local officials said Nov. 14. The dead rabbits had no discernible injuries.

11 rabbits found killed at school in Tottori

11 rabbits found killed at school in Tottori

TOTTORI, Japan - A rabbit hutch at a school for disabled children in Tottori, western Japan, where 11 rabbits were found killed Aug. 26. Earlier this month, 10 rabbits were killed at the school attached to Tottori University. The rabbits killed in the latest attack were donated to the school last week to replace the rabbits killed earlier.

11 specially protected rabbits found dead on Amami-Oshima

11 specially protected rabbits found dead on Amami-Oshima

TOKYO, Japan - An Amami black rabbit on Amami-Oshima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, in a photo taken in 2004. Eleven Amami black rabbits, which are found only in Japan and designated by the state as a natural treasure, have been found dead on Amami-Oshima Island, local officials said Nov. 14. The dead rabbits had no discernible injuries. (Kyodo)

JAL to disband women's basketball team

JAL to disband women's basketball team

TOKYO, Japan - Yumi Iwamura (L), captain of the women's basketball team of Japan Airlines Corp., and team manager Junichi Ara (C) attend a press conference at the headquarters of the Japan Sports Association in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on March 2, 2010. JAL, currently undergoing restructuring after declaring bankruptcy, said the same day it will disband its basketball team, the JAL Rabbits, at the end of the 2010-11 season. (Kyodo)

11 rabbits found killed at school in Tottori

11 rabbits found killed at school in Tottori

TOTTORI, Japan - A rabbit hutch at a school for disabled children in Tottori, western Japan, where 11 rabbits were found killed Aug. 26. Earlier this month, 10 rabbits were killed at the school attached to Tottori University. The rabbits killed in the latest attack were donated to the school last week to replace the rabbits killed earlier.