Wildfires spread in Northern Japan

Wildfires began to spread on April 22, 2026 in Japan’s northern Iwate prefecture, a region hit last year by the country’s largest wildfires in 50 years. Firefighters battled the blaze in forests on the outskirts of Otsuchi, but it had already engulfed over 200 hectares (494 acres) by the morning of April 23, 2026.