Among them is the small city of Sabae, in Fukui prefecture, about a 3.5-hour train ride from Tokyo. It’s widely known as Japan’s eyeglasses capital – and for good reason.

This underrated city was once the capital of Japan in the Middle Ages and is now a beautiful, tourist-friendly hub with beaches and outdoor adventures.

Extremely hot weather hit wide areas in Japan from the Kyushu to Hokuriku regions on Monday. ... They include 36.5 degrees in Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture, 36.2 in Tokushima City, ...