Japan’s fourth avalanche in two days buried three mountain climbers on a remote, icy peak today, as the country struggles through one of its snowiest winters on record.

An avalanche buried an outdoor hot spring at a popular traditional inn in northern Japan today, killing one person and injuring 16, as Japan struggles through one of its snowiest winters on record.

The head of East Japan Railway Company apologised today for a fatal train crash that killed at least five people on Christmas Day, saying he took full responsibility for the incident.

A powerful earthquake rocked north-eastern Japan today, starting fires and landslides and making buildings sway hundreds of miles away in the capital Tokyo.