As brown bears return, Hokkaido municipalities hope for police response
Many local governments have called on prefectural authorities to clarify the role of police in cases when the animals are spotted in urban areas.
Bento-maker sets example with language lessons for Vietnamese trainees
Asahikawa Ekitachiuri Shokai in Hokkaido says the classes make communication and work easier, and that trainees will have more job options after they return to Vietnam.
Hokkaido underprepared for offshore winter quakes and 'ice tsunami' destruction
Ice tsunamis can block the spaces between buildings and in streets, causing water to overflow into open spaces and cause faster and higher levels of flooding than otherwise expected.
Sapporo struggles to increase international recognition as winter resort
The city hopes to win its bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics so that it can welcome more tourists from abroad and boost its economy.
The region has joined the boom, and has seen professional teams sprouting up one after another in anticipation of further growth and the Hokkaido Esports Festival.
Municipalities are coming up with ideas to welcome newcomers as members of communities while also trying to stop young people from leaving their hometowns.
Hokkaido's Ishikari Beach offers rich bounty for beachcombers
The Tsushima Current carries objects from the south as it flows northward in the Sea of Japan, and the west wind from the Eurasian continent pushes them ashore.
Planned scenery regulation hampers development on main street of Hokkaido's Kutchan
Tighter regulations are being considered to maintain views of the picturesque Mount Yotei.
Businesses fight for workers ahead of tourism recovery in Hokkaido’s Niseko
When the pandemic caused massive layoffs, many people left. With the possibility of travel restarting, employers hope they return.
Businesses and town clash over construction regulation in Hokkaido's resort area
While Niseko has seen an influx of foreign investment, some investors are actually “troubled” by properties that they purchased, as the situation has changed.
More development taking place in towns and villages near Hokkaido's Niseko area
The growing interest in towns and villages surrounding Niseko has been reflected in their land prices.
Investors see potential in Hokkaido ski resorts in wake of pandemic
Developers began construction of a new hotel in the Kutchan town’s Hirafu district, a central part of Hokkaido's Niseko resort, back in Aug. 17, when the prefecture was being hit by the fifth wave of the pandemic with daily cases topping 400.
