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RECAP: Over 50 Injured After Strong M7.5 Quake Strikes Northern Japan

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off Aomori late Monday, December 8, triggering tsunami warnings across Hokkaido and Tohoku before being lifted early Tuesday. Over 50 injuries and power outages were reported. Authorities warn of a heightened risk of another major quake in the coming week.

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Japan: M7.5 Quake Leaves Damage to Ancestral Tablet Hall in Aomori

A powerful magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the east coast of Aomori Prefecture in northeast Japan around 11:15 p.m. on Monday, December 8, injuring dozens of people and prompting immediate tsunami warnings and evacuation orders. This video shows damage to an ancestral tablet hall at a temple in Mutsu, northern Aomori, the following morning.

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Japan: Heavy, Wet Snow Hits Hokkaido, Brings Power Outage Threat

Widespread snowfall blanketed many parts of Hokkaido on Monday, December 8, turning the region into a winter landscape. Much of today’s snow was heavy and wet, and areas with strengthening winds faced the risk of blowing snow, reduced visibility, and possible power outages caused by snow accretion.

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Fire near historical star fort in Hokkaido

Buildings near the 19th century star fort of Goryokaku in Hakodate in Hokkaido, northern Japan, burn on Dec. 2, 2025.

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Fire near historical star fort in Hokkaido

Buildings near the 19th century star fort of Goryokaku in Hakodate in Hokkaido, northern Japan, burn on Dec. 2, 2025.

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Steelworks fire in northern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 1, 2025, shows the site of a fire that broke out earlier in the day at a Nippon Steel Corp. plant in Muroran in Hokkaido, northern Japan. No injuries were reported and the fire did not spread beyond the plant, according to local authorities.

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Steelworks fire in northern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 1, 2025, shows the site of a fire that broke out earlier in the day at a Nippon Steel Corp. plant in Muroran in Hokkaido, northern Japan. No injuries were reported and the fire did not spread beyond the plant, according to local authorities.

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Steelworks fire in northern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 1, 2025, shows the site of a fire that broke out earlier in the day at a Nippon Steel Corp. plant in Muroran in Hokkaido, northern Japan. No injuries were reported and the fire did not spread beyond the plant, according to local authorities.

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Fire at Nippon Steel plant in northern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Dec. 1, 2025, shows the site of a fire that broke out earlier in the day at a Nippon Steel Corp. plant in Muroran in Hokkaido, northern Japan. No injuries were reported and the fire did not spread beyond the plant, according to local authorities.

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Santa Claus arrives in Japan

Santa Claus arrives at Narita airport in Narita near Tokyo from Finland on Nov. 28, 2025, as part of a promotional campaign by the northern European country's airline Finnair.

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Santa Claus arrives in Japan

Santa Claus arrives at Narita airport in Narita near Tokyo from Finland on Nov. 28, 2025, as part of a promotional campaign by the northern European country's airline Finnair.

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Sapporo White Illumination

Sapporo White Illumination, a popular seasonal light event, begins at Odori Park in Sapporo in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Nov. 21, 2025.

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Sapporo White Illumination

Sapporo White Illumination, a popular seasonal light event, begins at Odori Park in Sapporo in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Nov. 21, 2025.

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Japan: Cold Front Brings Heavy Snow, Weather Warnings to Northern Region 2

A strong cold front moved into northern Japan, bringing heavy snow. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a weather warning for some areas, including Hokkaido and Aomori on Tuesday, November 18.

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Japan: Cold Front Brings Heavy Snow, Weather Warnings to Northern Region 3

A strong cold front moved into northern Japan, bringing heavy snow. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a weather warning for some areas, including Hokkaido and Aomori on Tuesday, November 18.

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Japan: Cold Front Brings Heavy Snow, Weather Warnings to Northern Region

A strong cold front moved into northern Japan, bringing heavy snow. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a weather warning for some areas, including Hokkaido and Aomori on Tuesday, November 18.

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"Blue pond" in northern Japan

The "blue pond," a popular sightseeing spot, in Biei in Hokkaido, northern Japan, is lit up on Nov. 15, 2025, to allow visitors to view the larch trees and the snow-covered surface glowing in the dark.

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"Blue pond" in northern Japan

The "blue pond," a popular sightseeing spot, in Biei in Hokkaido, northern Japan, is lit up on Nov. 15, 2025, to allow visitors to view the larch trees and the snow-covered surface glowing in the dark.

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Japan: Rare Low-Latitude Aurora Observed in Hokkaido

A rare low-latitude aurora was observed in parts of Hokkaido on Wednesday night, November 12.

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Parliament addresses bear attacks in Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a recent spate of bear attacks on humans in Japan, mainly in northern and northeastern Japan, during a House of Councillors Budget Committee session in Tokyo on Nov. 12, 2025. The prime minister unveiled a plan to dip into the fiscal 2025 supplementary budget to finance countermeasures.

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Bear sightings in northern Japan

Photo taken in October 2025 shows a signboard set up at a park in Hokuto in Hokkaido, northern Japan, announcing the cancellation of an autumn foliage illumination event amid a recent spate of bear attacks in the region.

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Trial of 2022 deadly tour boat accident off Hokkaido

Photo taken on Nov. 12, 2025, shows a courtroom of the Kushiro District Court in Kushiro in Hokkaido, northern Japan, ahead of the first hearing of a trial for the president of a tourist boat operator over a 2022 fatal marine accident. The Kazu I sank during a cruise around the World Heritage-listed Shiretoko Peninsula in April 2022, leaving 26 people dead or missing. (Pool photo)

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Japan: Meteors Light Up Night Skies as Northern Taurids Meteor Shower Reaches Its Peak

The Northern Taurids meteor shower reached its peak on Wednesday, November 12, with fireballs, bright meteors, lighting up the night skies across Japan.

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[Breaking news]Christmas tree lighting

SAPPORO, Japan, Nov. 2 Kyodo - A giant Christmas tree decorated with about 50,000 LED lamps is lit up at the Sapporo Factory commercial facility in Sapporo in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Nov. 1, 2025. (Kyodo)

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Tram snowplow in northern Japan

A tram snowplow, called the Sasara train, makes its first run of the season in Sapporo in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Nov. 8, 2025.

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Tram snowplow in northern Japan

A tram snowplow, called the Sasara train, makes its first run of the season in Sapporo in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Nov. 8, 2025.

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Tram snowplow in northern Japan

A tram snowplow, called the Sasara train, makes its first run of the season in Sapporo in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Nov. 8, 2025.

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JCG's oldest patrol boat departs for final voyage

The Japan Coast Guard's oldest active patrol vessel, the icebreaker Soya, departs from its home port of Kushiro in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Nov. 4, 2025, for its final voyage after 47 years in operation. The 3,100-ton ship will be decommissioned on Nov. 12 after traveling about 1.91 million kilometers, equivalent to 48 trips around the Earth

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JCG's oldest patrol boat departs for final voyage

The Japan Coast Guard's oldest active patrol vessel, the icebreaker Soya, departs from its home port of Kushiro in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Nov. 4, 2025, for its final voyage after 47 years in operation. The 3,100-ton ship will be decommissioned on Nov. 12 after traveling about 1.91 million kilometers, equivalent to 48 trips around the Earth.

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Christmas tree lighting

A giant Christmas tree decorated with about 50,000 LED lamps is lit up at the Sapporo Factory commercial facility in Sapporo in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Nov. 1, 2025.

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Christmas tree lighting

A giant Christmas tree decorated with about 50,000 LED lamps is lit up at the Sapporo Factory commercial facility in Sapporo in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Nov. 1, 2025.

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Christmas tree lighting

A giant Christmas tree decorated with about 50,000 LED lamps is lit up at the Sapporo Factory commercial facility in Sapporo in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Nov. 1, 2025.

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Japan: Bear Incidents Spike in Northern Regions Ahead of Hibernation Season 5

Bear incidents have been increasing in northern Japan. Between April 2025 and March 2026, seven people were killed, marking the highest number of fatalities since records began in 2006. Bears become more active in the autumn before hibernation, so the Ministry of the Environment is urging people to exercise caution.

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Japan: Bear Incidents Spike in Northern Regions Ahead of Hibernation Season 4

Bear incidents have been increasing in northern Japan. Between April 2025 and March 2026, seven people were killed, marking the highest number of fatalities since records began in 2006. Bears become more active in the autumn before hibernation, so the Ministry of the Environment is urging people to exercise caution.

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Bird flu outbreak in northern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Oct. 22, 2025, shows a poultry farm in Shiraoi in Hokkaido, northern Japan, after the confirmation of avian influenza, the first outbreak in Japan in fiscal 2025.

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Bird flu outbreak in northern Japan

Photo taken from a Kyodo News helicopter on Oct. 22, 2025, shows a poultry farm in Shiraoi in Hokkaido, northern Japan, after the confirmation of avian influenza, the first outbreak in Japan in fiscal 2025.

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Comet Lemmon

Comet Lemmon shines among the stars in the night sky over the town of Urahoro in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Oct. 19, 2025.

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Comet Lemmon

Comet Lemmon shines among the stars in the night sky over the town of Urahoro in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Oct. 19, 2025.

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Comet Lemmon

Comet Lemmon shines among the stars in the night sky over the town of Urahoro in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Oct. 19, 2025.

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Comet Lemmon

Comet Lemmon shines among the stars in the night sky over the town of Urahoro in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Oct. 19, 2025.

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Japan: Bear Incidents Spike in Northern Regions Ahead of Hibernation Season 3

Bear incidents have been increasing in northern Japan. Between April 2025 and March 2026, seven people were killed, marking the highest number of fatalities since records began in 2006. Bears become more active in the autumn before hibernation, so the Ministry of the Environment is urging people to exercise caution. This video was shot in Shari, Hokkaido on October 16.

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Japan: Bear Incidents Spike in Northern Regions Ahead of Hibernation Season

A wild bear was spotted running on the sidewalk in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture on Thursday, October 16. Bear incidents have been increasing in northern Japan. Between April 2025 and March 2026, seven people were killed, marking the highest number of fatalities since records began in 2006. Bears become more active in the autumn before hibernation, so the Ministry of the Environment is urging people to exercise caution.

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Harvest moon

A harvest moon is seen in Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Oct. 6, 2025.

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Japan: Storm Systems Bring 100 mm/h Downpour, Causing Flooding in Miyagi

Storm systems brought widespread heavy rain across eastern and northern Japan on Wednesday, October 1. In Miyagi Prefecture, weather alerts were issued as torrential rainfall of approximately 100 mm per hour was reported, causing road floods. Evacuation orders were issued for tens of thousands of homes in Tagajo.

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Japan crown princess visits Sapporo

Japanese Crown Princess Kiko (3rd from R) visits on Sept. 24, 2025, the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building, known as the Red Brick Office, in Sapporo in Hokkaido, northern Japan, where she is visiting to attend events for tuberculosis prevention week. (Pool photo)

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Japan crown princess visits Sapporo

Japanese Crown Princess Kiko (front, 2nd from L) visits on Sept. 24, 2025, the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building, known as the Red Brick Office, in Sapporo in Hokkaido, northern Japan, where she is visiting to attend events for tuberculosis prevention week. (Pool photo)

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Japan: Heavy Rain Hits Northern Mie Prefecture, Dozens of Cars Damaged in Yokkaichi

On Friday night, September 12, northern Mie Prefecture was hit by an intense, short-lived downpour. The rainfall reached a record 123.5 millimeters per hour, the highest ever recorded in the area. Near Kintetsu Yokkaichi Station, which was bustling on a weekend night, streets and shopping districts were flooded, leaving many vehicles stranded and causing chaos. In the city center, the large underground parking lot Kusunoki Parking was submerged, with dozens of cars damaged by the floodwaters.

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RECAP: Typhoon Peipah Brings Heavy Rain, Flooding, and Tornado Damage Across Japan

Typhoon Peipah made landfall in Japan on Friday, September 5, first near Sukumo City in Kochi Prefecture before dawn and again in northern Wakayama Prefecture around 9 a.m., bringing heavy rain and flooding across western to eastern regions. In Shizuoka Prefecture, a tornado linked to the storm caused major damage in Makinohara, Yoshida, and Yaizu, toppling buildings, ripping apart greenhouses, and overturning trucks.

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Total lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse is seen above Shosanbetsu in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Sept. 8, 2025.

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Total lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse is seen above Shosanbetsu in Hokkaido, northern Japan, on Sept. 8, 2025.