Yellow sand was observed in wide areas of western Japan on Saturday in a rare winter occurrence of the phenomenon, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
It is the first time since 1993 that yellow sand has been observed in the nation in the month of December. The meteorological phenomenon, which usually occurs in spring, makes the sky hazy and reduces visibility.
Yellow sand was detected in Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Tottori, Hiroshima and other prefectures in western Japan.
Visibility at many observation points in the prefectures was over 10 km, but it fell to 7 km in Tottori and 8 km in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture.
The sand is believed to have been carried from China by westerly winds, the agency said.