A fire broke out in a warehouse-like building near the Sanyo Shinkansen tracks in Bizen City, Okayama Prefecture. The fire, reported around 6:30 AM, was extinguished after approximately 3.5 hours, leading to a temporary suspension of service between Shin-Osaka and Hiroshima stations.
The Noto Peninsula earthquake reduced the number of flights between Noto and Haneda Airport. However, as of December 25th, the service has returned to its pre-earthquake schedule of two round trips per day, with today's morning flight nearly fully booked.
The Japan Meteorological Agency predicts heavy snowfall in several regions, with Niigata expecting up to 70 cm, Hokuriku and Tokai up to 60 cm, Hokkaido and Kanto-Koshin up to 50 cm, Tohoku up to 40 cm, and Chugoku and Shikoku up to 15 cm over the next 24 hours.
Drivers are advised to equip their vehicles with winter tires and to install chains early to ensure safety on snowy roads.
The Japan Meteorological Agency urges travelers to stay updated with the latest weather and traffic information, consider route adjustments, and possibly change plans due to heavy snowfall expected to affect transportation significantly during the holiday season.