Avalanche Hits 8 Skiers At Hokkaido Resort

Avalanche hits 8 skiers at Hokkaido resort

An avalanche hit eight people who had been skiing off regular slopes at a ski resort in Hokkaido on Thursday. They are believed to be foreign tourists.

Police say one of the skiers went to seek help. They say one of the group, believed to be a French national, is in critical condition and the others have minor injuries.

Hokkaido Lighthouse Gets Powerful Leds In Beacon Trial

Hokkaido lighthouse gets powerful LEDs in beacon trial

KUSHIRO, Hokkaido--The Japan Coast Guard has begun experimenting with high-output LEDs for the beacon of the Kushiro Saki Lighthouse here in an energy- and cost-saving test.

If successful, the coast guard plans to put the high-intensity chip-on-board LEDs, which are strips of LEDs that are illuminated together, into practical use as a light source.