Japanese basketball continues to improve year after year. Strong financial backing and steadily growing fan interest have turned the B.League into one of Asia’s most exciting competitions. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks suffered one of their steepest declines on October 15, with the Nikkei 225 plunging 3,318 points, or 4.90%, to close at 64,426, its third-largest point decline on record, as a global selloff in artificial intelligence and semiconductor shares intensified over concerns about rising U.S. interest rates and the financial sustainability of debt-funded AI investment. (News On Japan)

Police investigating the deaths of seven dogs and cats at a pet shop have discovered that the business allegedly obtained powerful prescription drugs illegally from a veterinarian for several years, allowing unlicensed staff to administer the medicines in an apparent effort to reduce operating costs. (News On Japan)

The Nada Fighting Festival, known for its spectacular collisions between massive portable shrines weighing around two tons, drew large crowds to Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, on October 15, as participants repeatedly slammed the heavy structures into one another in a traditional ritual believed to please the gods. (News On Japan)

Panasonic has announced a recall of approximately 640,000 drum-type washer-dryers after identifying a defect in their automatic detergent dispensing tanks that could cause electrical wiring to deteriorate and potentially catch fire. (News On Japan)

Kyoto City expects revenue from its accommodation tax to more than double to approximately 13.2 billion yen this fiscal year following a substantial increase in the maximum nightly levy to 10,000 yen, as the city seeks to address overtourism and ease the pressure that millions of visitors place on residents and public infrastructure. (News On Japan)

A 41-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of selling sleeping pills not approved for use in Japan to girls who frequent the "Toyoko" area of Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district, allegedly promoting the drugs on social media as a way to experience an intense high through excessive consumption. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks edged lower on October 14, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 67,744, down 33 points, as an early rebound in semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related shares faded late in the session before the release of U.S. inflation data. (News On Japan)

Japan's Nikkei stock average plunged more than 2,500 points at one stage during trading in Tokyo on October 15, as a sharp sell-off in semiconductor shares followed a surge in U.S. long-term interest rates and renewed concerns over the outlook for artificial intelligence investment. (News On Japan)

Three people, including a former chief priest, have been arrested over the alleged takeover of a historic Buddhist temple in central Kyoto, with investigators suspecting they sold temple-owned land and buildings without authorization for approximately 226 million yen, leaving the 300-year-old institution with almost none of its property beyond its main hall and grounds. (News On Japan)

Russian authorities have arrested a Japanese journalist working for the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper on suspicion of espionage, releasing footage of a security operation and accusing the reporter of gathering military intelligence, in a case that threatens to further strain relations between Tokyo and Moscow. (News On Japan)

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yana submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the evening of October 14 over a controversy involving shuttle buses and other issues, prompting Takaichi to acknowledge her responsibility for appointing him and announce plans to name a successor on October 15. (News On Japan)

More than 1,000 chickens escaped from a truck onto a busy national highway in Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, on October 15 after the vehicle's load shifted, prompting traffic restrictions that lasted approximately four hours. (News On Japan)

Japanese family restaurant chain Saizeriya has announced its first major price increase since going public in 1998, raising menu prices by an average of 6% from October 29 as soaring ingredient and energy costs force the company to abandon its longstanding policy of keeping prices unchanged. (News On Japan)

The El Niño phenomenon developing in the Pacific Ocean has reached its strongest level since records began in 1949, with sea surface temperatures off Peru rising 4 degrees Celsius above normal in September, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on October 9, raising concerns about extreme weather worldwide and the prospect of an unusually warm winter in Japan. (News On Japan)

Japan's women's national soccer team, Nadeshiko Japan, suffered a 2-1 comeback defeat to Germany in an international friendly in Bremen on October 13, despite taking an early lead through Momoko Tanikawa. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks edged lower on October 14, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 67,744, down 33 points, as an early rebound in semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related shares faded late in the session before the release of U.S. inflation data. (News On Japan)

Japan's Fair Trade Commission plans to issue cease-and-desist orders against six construction companies, including firms affiliated with Japan Railways, over repeated bid-rigging in maintenance contracts for Tokyo's Toei subway network and other railway lines, with five companies facing surcharges totaling approximately 500 million yen. (News On Japan)

Japan is expected to fall from fourth to sixth place in the global economic rankings in 2027, overtaken by India and the United Kingdom, according to the latest economic outlook from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), reflecting sluggish domestic growth and the continued weakness of the yen. (News On Japan)

Osaka's iconic Glico sign in Dotonbori will undergo a major renewal next spring after more than a decade of operation, with its current LED display set to be switched off for the final time on November 30. (News On Japan)