KITA-HIROSHIMA, Hokkaido--Although the once-mighty Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters have fallen on hard times in recent years, their new ballpark promises to make a splash with their devoted legions of ...

In Japanese there’s a word, shinrinyoku, which refers to spending time in a forest to relax and be soothed by the serenity and beauty of the natural environment. Shinrinyoku literally translates as ...

MURORAN, Hokkaido -- A seal at an aquarium here is creating a splash with its act of slapping a bath bucket like a drum to get food from trainers. When the seal at Muroran Aquarium began its "furious ...

AS the snowiest place on Earth, Japan’s north island should be pretty good for snowboarding. And it would be if it weren’t for all the monsters in Hokkaido’s woods. Japan’s north island of Hokkaido is ...

TOKYO -- Hotels made of ice can be found in many of the world's coldest countries. Now Hoshino Resorts, an operator of classic Japanese ryokan and other inns, is adding a new wrinkle to the concept -- ...

ATSUMA, Hokkaido -- An elderly woman has died after she was found unconscious in a bath at a temporary facility here on Sept. 18, the Iburi Tobu Fire Department and the Hokkaido Prefectural Police ...

Locals speak of Juhyo — ghostly figures made of ice and snow that line up along the pistes. And don’t get me started on the roaming packs of man-eating melon-bears. Look closer, though, and you’ll see ...