CHINO, Nagano Prefecture--A “world-first” analyzer was developed in this prefecture, noted for its “soba” production, to estimate the tastiness of the buckwheat noodles within seconds.

Majestic curtains of ice hang on a riverside in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, wowing tourists. Water dripping out of a mountain cliff freezes into huge icicles on a bank of the Nishino River ...