OFUNATO, Iwate Prefecture—Much-needed rain ... said three key factors contribute to forest fires. The first factor is reduced snowfall and prolonged dryness. The second factor is a lack of ...

MORIOKA—A skier, believed to be an American man, died after being buried in snow at a ski resort in Iwate Prefecture, police said. Two fellow skiers reported the man missing by calling police ...

Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba was considering declaring the country’s biggest wildfire in decades a “severe disaster” as the blaze continued to rage for the eighth day, reducing nearly 3,000 ...