BIEI, Hokkaido (Kyodo) -- The annual winter illumination is underway at Hokkaido's famous "Aoi Ike" Blue Pond, drawing ...

Travelers to Hokkaido and Sapporo are urged to stay alert and avoid bear-prone areas as sightings reach alarming levels.

Rural scenes like this one in Biei are one reason why Hokkaido is likened to the U.S. Midwest. In the two-plus years since Japan was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the destruction ...

The annual winter illumination has begun at Hokkaido's famous "Aoi Ike" Blue Pond, drawing visitors eager to witness the ethereal transformation of the landscape. Tourists flock to the Instagrammable ...