Central and northern Japan have received record snowfall this week, with some locations seeing as much as 12 feet.

Vegetable prices are rising rapidly in Japan after a deadly heatwave saw highs of more than 40C. Record-breaking temperatures triggered a spike in the cost of some foods with increases of up to 65 per cent.  An agriculture ministry official in Tokyo warned about "pretty severe price moves" for vegetables if predictions of more weeks of hot weather held up, resulting in less rain than usual.