Sapporo Snow Festival May Go Online

Sapporo Snow Festival may go online

The annual Sapporo Snow Festival scheduled for January and February is expected to forgo its usual displays of snow and ice sculptures, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sapporo Mayor Akimoto Katsuhiro told reporters on Thursday that city officials have judged it would be difficult to hold the event in the usual style.

Honda Starts Selling Non-certified Used Cars Online

Honda starts selling non-certified used cars online

Honda has become the first carmaker in America to allow dealers to list non-certified used cars on its official website. It's gradually rolling out the program across the nation in a bid to lure younger buyers into showrooms.

As of writing, dealers can list vehicles from their inventory of certified pre-owned cars on HondaCertified.com, a platform which lets users search for a used Honda based on a number of parameters, including the model, its mileage, and its distance from a given ZIP code. Non-certified used cars will appear on the same platform, Roadshow reported, which sounds confusing but it's less so than operating two separate websites.

Hokkaido Confectioner Enters Chinese Online Market

Hokkaido confectioner enters Chinese online market

The Japanese maker of a popular souvenir cookie has launched the item on the Chinese online market to prop up its sales hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

NHK has learned that Ishiya began offering the product on two major e-commerce sites last month. The item, called "Shiroi Koibito," or literally "white lover," sold well among Chinese tourists before the virus spread.

Emperor, Empress Talk To Senior Citizens Online

Emperor, Empress talk to senior citizens online

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have sent online messages of encouragement to the elderly in Tokyo and the southwestern prefecture of Oita.

The Emperor and Empress were at the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on Wednesday. They watched a group in Oita Prefecture helping the elderly maintain good health conditions and also monitored senior citizens at a human resources center in Tokyo.

Suga Takes Part In Asean+3 Online Summit

Suga takes part in ASEAN+3 online summit

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide says he will work with Southeast Asian countries to fight the coronavirus.

Suga took part in an online summit with the leaders of ten ASEAN countries, as well as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Saturday.

Training For Tokyo Games Volunteers Resumes Online

Training for Tokyo Games volunteers resumes online

Training for volunteers for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, which have been postponed to next year due to the coronavirus, has resumed online.

Training for some 80,000 volunteers called "field casts," who will mainly work at competition venues, started in October last year. But it was suspended in February due to the outbreak and resumed online this month.

Japan's Travel Agencies Enhance Online Services

Japan's travel agencies enhance online services

Travel agencies in Japan are stepping up online customer services as part of efforts to prevent spreading the coronavirus. The moves come after the government's incentive campaign for domestic tourism started including trips to and from Tokyo on October 1.

H.I.S. launched a new online system this month employing artificial intelligence. Customers can enter their travel period, budget and so on via smartphone, and AI then recommends travel plans.

Nikon Z6 Ii, Z7 Ii Listed By Online Retailer Ahead Of Official Reveal

Nikon Z6 II, Z7 II Listed By Online Retailer Ahead Of Official Reveal

A couple of years ago, Nikon decided to get serious about its mirrorless efforts and announced both the Nikon Z6 and Z7 full-frame mirrorless cameras to better compete with the likes of Sony. The company has since launched other mirrorless cameras part of its Z-lineup, but what about the originals? Will we be seeing a successor to either model?

It turns out that we might, at least that’s according to a listing on B&H Photo in which the online retailer has listed both the Nikon Z6 II and the Z7 II. The specs of either camera was not mentioned, but the fact that it was listed suggests that these cameras could be on their way. The page also features an event invite to a Nikon announcement which is scheduled for the 14th of October at 12AM ET.

Japan's Upper House Studies Ways To Go Online

Japan's Upper House studies ways to go online

The Upper House of Japan's Diet will begin studying ways to move their deliberations online.

In the latest ordinary Diet session, lawmakers were seated spaced apart in the main chamber to observe social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Emperor, Empress Watch Online Water Conference

Emperor, Empress watch online water conference

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have watched an online conference about risk management for water-related disasters amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Imperial couple viewed the meeting from their Akasaka residence in Tokyo on Thursday. The Emperor has been researching global water issues for many years.

Survivors Share Their Experiences Online

Survivors share their experiences online

Many public events marking the 1945 atomic bombings in Japan have been cancelled, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But some survivors of the attacks have found a new way to share their stories with young people. They are reaching out to kids online.