MURORAN, Hokkaido -- Japanese swords are being offered as incentives to "hometown tax" contributors for this north Japan city ...

MURORAN, Hokkaido—Visitors from around Japan and overseas continue to flow into the municipal Muroran Aquarium here for a look at Satsuki, a seal that bangs on a plastic pail to beg for food. In early ...

Knoxville's sister city, Muroran City in Japan, was rocked by an earthquake that hit the country's northernmost main island of Hokkaido Thursday local time. Muroran City in Japan has been Knoxville's ...

Master swordsmith Taneshige Sasaki explains the swords being offered as "hometown tax" contribution gifts in this photo taken Dec. 19, 2025, in Muroran, Hokkaido. The swords include a "tachi" long ...