Japan's foreign minister has told his counterpart in the Caribbean island nation Barbados that Japan will continue to offer necessary support in the fields of environment, climate change and disaster mitigation.

A Japanese relief team operating in earthquake-hit Turkey is set to shift its focus away from search and rescue efforts and toward medical assistance.

Japanese weather officials are warning of heavy snow in Tokyo and the surrounding areas, as well as in the northeastern region of Tohoku, on Friday. Snow could accumulate even in central Tokyo and affect traffic.

Heavy snow is forecast for Japan's Kanto-Koshin region on Friday and Saturday, with accumulation expected even in central Tokyo.

Snow is falling on and off mainly in northern Japan on Thursday. Hokkaido is experiencing stormy weather with snow and strong winds.

A naturally-formed curtain of icicles is amusing visitors in a town in the northern Japanese prefecture of Aomori.

Japan's Meteorological Agency is warning of possible eruptions for the Beyonesu Rocks or Bayonnaise Rocks, a small volcano in the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of kilometers off the coast of Tokyo.

Railway officials in western Japan say they will get to the bottom of the problems that resulted in trains being left stranded for hours in heavy snowfall.

Heavy snow in central and western Japan has left vehicles stranded over a 10-kilometer stretch of expressway between Nagoya and Kyoto.

Japanese weather officials warn that the coldest air mass of this winter is expected to bring heavy snow to the Sea of Japan coast and some areas on the Pacific side of the country from Tuesday.

Japanese weather officials are warning of possible severe snowstorms this weekend, mainly in the northern part of the country along the Sea of Japan.

Parts of Japan, mainly along the Sea of Japan coast, have been hit by heavy snow due to a winter pressure pattern. People removing snow from rooftops should exercise caution.