Pan Pacific International Holdings (PPIH), the operator of discount retail chain Don Quijote, has announced plans to acquire the Japanese operations of Toys R Us, the American-founded toy retail giant, taking over approximately 150 stores nationwide while maintaining employment for existing workers. (News On Japan)

A former Ground Self-Defense Force officer accused of entering the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo with a kitchen knife and threatening diplomatic staff admitted to trespassing and violating Japan's weapons laws at his first court hearing on October 1, but disputed whether his statements constituted criminal threats. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks surged on October 1, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 68,957, up 2,203 points, as investors rushed back into artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares after Micron Technology’s strong earnings outlook reinforced confidence in global chip demand. (News On Japan)

The 2026 Kishiwada Danjiri Festival brought generations together in Sakai-cho, where young men hauling a four-ton wooden float, veteran organizers guiding its course and a first-year rooftop performer worked side by side to carry forward a tradition dating back more than 300 years. (News On Japan)

Japan passed the 200-medal mark at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on September 30, with siblings Mitsuki and Hayato Kondo winning judo gold medals within half an hour of each other, Ami Ishii and Taizo Yoshida taking wrestling titles, Sorato Anraku defending his sport climbing crown, and the men's soccer team surviving a dramatic penalty shootout to reach the final. (News On Japan)

TOKYO - Tokyo stocks fell on September 29, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 65,481, down 396 points, as the September-end ex-dividend adjustment, U.S. stock weakness, higher bond yields and oil-related inflation concerns weighed on investor sentiment. (News On Japan)

A major new railway training center equipped with full-scale tracks, crossings and signals has opened in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture, as Japan's railway industry faces a growing shortage of skilled workers that could exceed 20,000 by fiscal 2028. (News On Japan)

Osaka Prefecture's minimum wage will rise to 1,231 yen per hour in October, providing welcome relief to part-time workers struggling with higher living costs while placing growing financial pressure on businesses, some of which are responding by reducing employee hours and introducing robots that can perform certain tasks for the equivalent of just 94 yen an hour. (News On Japan)

A spectacular sea of clouds appeared over Mount Oe in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture, on the morning of September 30, creating a breathtaking landscape as the rising sun gradually turned the mist a deep crimson. (News On Japan)

The average annual salary for employees at private-sector companies in Japan rose 1.9% to a record 4.87 million yen last year, marking the fifth consecutive annual increase, according to the National Tax Agency. (News On Japan)

Toyota Motor's global vehicle sales fell 6.4% from a year earlier to 790,743 units in August, marking the second consecutive month of year-on-year declines as high gasoline prices linked to the Middle East crisis continued to weigh on demand for gasoline-powered vehicles in China. (News On Japan)

A woman in her 50s with severe heart failure underwent what was described as the world's first surgery using commercially available iPS cell-derived heart muscle sheets at an Osaka hospital on September 29, marking the first practical use of the regenerative treatment. (News On Japan)

Tokyo recorded rain for a 34th consecutive day on September 29, setting a new all-time record for the capital, but the prolonged wet spell could finally end after Typhoon No. 26 passes the Izu Islands between the night of September 30 and the morning of October 1. (News On Japan)

Japan captured the men's 4x400-meter relay gold medal in driving rain on September 29, clocking 3 minutes, 0.75 seconds to win the Asian Games title for the first time in 12 years as the athletics program came to a dramatic conclusion at Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya. (News On Japan)

Japan's government plans to convene an extraordinary Diet session on October 5, with proposed legislation to reduce the consumption tax on food and plans to cut the number of seats in the House of Representatives expected to be among the main issues. (News On Japan)

The University of Tokyo has selected professor Yuko Fujigaki, 64, as its next president, making her the first woman to lead Japan's most prestigious university. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks fell on September 29, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 65,481, down 396 points, as the market adjusted for September interim dividends and investors remained cautious over high Japanese bond yields, a weak yen, oil prices and profit-taking after the recent rebound. (News On Japan)

Nagoya Castle welcomed crowds of domestic and international visitors on September 27, the final holiday before its adult admission fee doubles from 500 yen to 1,000 yen in October. (News On Japan)

Japan will unify liquor tax rates on beer, happoshu and other beer-like beverages from October 1, lowering the tax on regular beer while raising it on cheaper alternatives in a reform expected to reshape prices and competition across the domestic beer market. (News On Japan)

Performers at Universal Studios Japan are raising concerns about demanding working conditions behind the Osaka theme park's colorful shows and character appearances, with some describing the work as an example of employers taking advantage of workers' enthusiasm for jobs they once dreamed of doing. (News On Japan)