Residents of Otaru aren’t the only group in Japan getting frustrated about the ... The store, which is set against the mountain, was attracting a daily tourist scrum that inconvenienced residents.

The Nakasendo road still exists in its entirety - as do dozens of the post towns it weaves between - forming an epic walking route across central Japan ... are pale mountains, delicate cherry ...

In Japan, it’s all about the snow ... the imposing 6,227-foot volcano that towers over the valley. All-mountain ski passes: 10,500 yen, or about $68, a day. Where to stay: Niseko Northern ...

Fun for all seasons: hiking in summer and skiing in winter. Inside Sancho Station, you'll find the Otaru Ski Museum and Tengu Exhibition Room, where tengu masks from around the country are gathered.

“It’s ironic that my husband moved to the US from Japan when he was 18 ... and being able to walk out my door and into the mountains every day gives me such a sense of calm.

The return of inflation and wage growth is giving the Bank of Japan room to raise interest rates and declare the end of a long period of stagnation. Source: FactSet, Bank of Japan By The New York ...

In Otaru, a quaint city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of Japan, bouncers were deployed this week to prevent gatherings at tourist attraction Funami-za. This steep street offers an ...

A small and picturesque port city in Japan has hired security guards to police selfie-taking tourists. Known for its pretty canal lined with well-preserved 19th and 20th-century warehouses, Otaru is ...

Otaru Canal, a popular tourist attraction, is seen in Otaru, Hokkaido, on Jan. 26, 2025. (Mainichi/Haruka Ito) OTARU, Hokkaido -- This northern Japanese city implemented new measures on Jan. 28 to ...

Japan welcomed a record 36 million tourists in 2024, according to official numbers released this month. Otaru saw over 90,000 foreign tourists staying in the city during the first half of fiscal ...

A 61-year-old Chinese tourist was fatally struck by a train in the city of Otaru, Hokkaido, on Thursday morning after stepping onto the tracks to take photos. The woman, visiting the coastal city ...

Japan’s core consumer inflation accelerated to 3.0% in December, the fastest annual pace in 16 months, data showed earlier on Friday, in a sign rising fuel and food prices continue to push up ...