Japan

NHK | English | News | Jan. 13, 2026 | Extreme Weather Events

Blizzard conditions are impacting northern to western Japan, primarily along the Sea of Japan coast, with severity expected to peak through Monday morning. The Japan Meteorological Agency attributes the heavy snow and strong winds to a robust winter pressure pattern combined with a cold air mass. Wind speeds reached up to 115.2 kilometers per hour on Miyake-jima, with other locations such as Tottori Airport and Kanazawa City also experiencing significant gusts.

Snowfall is intensifying across the Tohoku to Hokuriku regions, with some areas already experiencing blizzard conditions. Snow accumulations have varied widely, including 1.29 meters in Uonuma City, 95 centimeters in Tadami Town, 56 centimeters in Otaru City, and 33 centimeters in Yonezawa City. Forecasts predict further substantial snowfall through Monday evening, with mountainous areas in the Tohoku region expecting up to 80 centimeters, and other regions like Niigata, Gifu, northern Kanto, Hokuriku, Hokkaido, Kinki, Nagano, and Chugoku seeing varying amounts from 30 to 70 centimeters.

Strong winds will persist, with predicted maximum speeds reaching 90 kilometers per hour on the Izu Islands and up to 126 kilometers per hour as instantaneous gusts in affected areas. High waves and rough seas are also anticipated. Authorities have issued warnings concerning severe weather impacts, including heavy snow, snowdrifts, transportation disruptions, power outages, avalanches, falling snow from roofs, and the potential for lightning strikes and tornadoes due to unstable atmospheric conditions.

Asahi Shimbun - E | English | News | Jan. 13, 2026 | North Korea

North Korea's Kim Yo Jong called on South Korea to investigate recent drone incursions into North Korean airspace, emphasizing that any provocations could lead to severe consequences. She acknowledged South Korea's official statement denying military involvement in the drone flights and stressed that national security authorities must take responsibility regardless of whether civilians or organizations are involved.

The drone incidents occurred earlier this month and followed a similar intrusion in September, with North Korea's military confirming the events. South Korea responded by affirming it has no intent to provoke North Korea and is conducting a thorough investigation, including the possibility that civilians operated the drones.

South Korea's Office of National Security pledged to promptly share the findings of its investigation while reaffirming the government's non-provocative stance. The administration of President Lee Jae Myung is actively seeking to improve bilateral ties and has proposed military talks, although North Korea has not engaged in dialogue since Kim Jong Un officially labeled the two Koreas as separate and "hostile" nations at the end of 2023.

＜視点＞コメの「減反」継続か 広い視野で農政改革を 論説委員・渡辺道彦

Tokyo Shimbun | Local Language | News | Jan. 13, 2026 | UndeterminedPolitical Policy Resistance

The rice shortage that emerged in late 2024 has reversed with the 2025 harvest, resulting in private rice stocks reaching a three-year high and creating an oversupply scenario. Despite this, retail prices remain elevated at over 4,000 yen per 5 kilograms, though a sudden price drop could occur, causing continued volatility that affects producers, distributors, and consumers.

A key policy issue for 2026 is the government's proposed revision to the Food Control Act, set for submission to the Diet. The revision aims to address systemic flaws revealed by the recent rice shortage by introducing private-sector storage and AI-based yield forecasting to stabilize supply. Central to the debate is the legalization of "production according to demand," a policy promoted by Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki, which may prevent a return to previous production-increase policies and effectively continue the long-standing paddy-reduction approach.

The former paddy-reduction policy, abolished in 2018, had the government directing prefectures on rice production volumes and subsidizing farmers to reduce planting areas to control supply and maintain prices. While this system was discontinued, the government still sets production targets based on demand and encourages farmers to shift cultivation from staple rice to other crops such as feed rice, wheat, and soybeans, continuing a form of production control.