According to the Hakkoda Ropeway, weekend crowds are so large that visitors can face waits of up to two hours to board. With the Chinese New Year holiday -- which runs through Feb. 4 -- further ...

Mr Seietsu Takahashi, 73, was stabbed in the face many times with a toothbrush handle by a then 59-year-old man who had been hospitalized in the same room due to alcohol addiction and other reasons.