2 January
Three people have died in a house fire on the island of Sado in Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast.
The fire swept through 15 homes and shops on Wednesday.
Fire officials in Sado received a call about the blaze before 4 AM on Wednesday. It took firefighters almost seven hours to put it out.
Police say the dead are an elderly couple and their son. He was visiting his parents for the New Year holidays.
The fire happened in a densely populated area near the Ryoutsu Port.
NHK
