Nipponica

Repeated sightings of brown bears near a residential area in this northern Japan city's Minami Ward have prompted city authorities to call for caution.

On Sept. 30, the Sapporo Municipal Government released an image of a brown bear spotted at about 3:50 a.m. the same day by a surveillance camera set up on a forest road in the ward's Fujino district. The footage showed a brown bear walking by itself. It remains unclear how big the bear was as its full body was not shown.

All technically correct but it is important to note that southern Sapporo City is largely rural and mountainous so it isn’t like these sightings are in the urban city proper.

The man, a resident of Sapporo's Chuo Ward, was arrested on suspicion of speeding in violation of the Road Traffic Act. According to police, his recorded speed of 183 kph -- 123 kph over the limit -- was the highest speeding violation since the introduction of portable speed enforcement devices in 2019.

Police said the man was on his way home at the time, and had admitted to the allegations against him, stating, "I was going fishing the next day, so I wanted to get home quickly to sleep."

Obvious safety violation but I appreciate the honestly. Sleep is worth it.

A male assistant professor at Hokkaido University assaulted and injured multiple students while intoxicated at a social gathering, sources involved with the university have told the Mainichi Shimbun.

Following the incident, the students called on the university administration to conduct an investigation and take disciplinary action against the assistant professor, a member of the chemistry department of the university's Faculty of Science, questioning the department's reluctance to make the issue public. It took over a month following the incident for the department to distribute a document to students regarding "measures to prevent a recurrence."

Totally outrageous and this faculty should be terminated and prosecuted. Let’s keep the school violence sequestered on the other side of the Pacific and not let it seep into this country.

The Red Star is set to debut in February 2027 to coincide with the drift ice season along the Sea of Okhotsk. The round-trip service will span two days between JR Sapporo and Abashiri stations.

The Blue Star will be in service from June to September, mainly during the lavender blooming season, between JR Asahikawa and Biei stations, and JR Furano Station.

The more trains the better even if some of them are mini Snowpiercer expresses for the rich. Train travel is already normalized for much of the world, but if we lure some people with big wallets on these experiences then maybe they will fund similar things in the unenlightened world.

A relatively strong earthquake struck the Hokkaido region at around 0:10 p.m. Monday. The magnitude is estimated to be 5.3, and the eastern Hidaka and southern Tokachi regions measured 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale.

Principal Miki Okada remarked, "In recent years, even Sapporo has experienced dangerous heat levels. Last year, there were days when the temperature inside the school building exceeded 30 C. Air conditioning is essential not only for creating a conducive learning environment but also for protecting students' lives."

Following the record high temperature of 36.3 C in Sapporo in the summer of 2023, the city began installing air conditioning in all municipal schools and kindergartens (312 facilities, approximately 6,000 rooms) starting in fiscal 2024. This summer, 39 schools (roughly 580 rooms), accounting for 12.5% of the total, had permanent air conditioners with outdoor units for the first time. The education board is expected to have 67.3% coverage by the summer of 2026, with all schools equipped by the summer of 2027.

As a Hokkaido-jin, this is a sad but necessary reality. This year’s summer was horrendous and most infrastructure was never built to need AC. I have never felt so lucky to have AC in my building than I was this year.