As of November 4th, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced that a tropical depression near the Caroline Islands is expected to develop into a typhoon within the next 24 hours. The system is separate from Typhoon No. 25 (Haiyan) currently near the Philippines and is projected to move northwestward once it intensifies. (News On Japan)

The Tenpyo Procession, in which participants don splendid period costumes and visit Todaiji Temple, was held in Nara on November 3rd. The event commemorates Emperor Shomu, who commissioned the construction of the Great Buddha, and Empress Komyo, known for her devotion to Buddhism. (News On Japan)

A police officer responding to a traffic accident in Hyogo Prefecture died after falling from a bridge on November 3rd in Nishinomiya City, with authorities investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. (News On Japan)

The opening ceremony of the annual Osaka Festival of Lights was held on November 3rd along Midosuji, Osaka’s main street, transforming the city’s nightscape with dazzling illuminations as trees lining the boulevard glowed with countless lights. (News On Japan)

China’s Foreign Ministry announced that it will extend visa-free entry for Japan, France, and 43 other countries until the end of December 2026, as the government seeks to attract more overseas investment and tourists amid a prolonged economic slowdown. (News On Japan)

Farmers across western Japan are facing mounting losses from the growing population of nutria, large semi-aquatic rodents originally brought from South America. Once imported for their fur, the animals have become a major agricultural pest, chewing through crops and spreading rapidly into urban areas. (News On Japan)

Local authorities in Shari, a town in Hokkaido, are seeking donations to preserve and promote an old Japan National Railways bridge that has been registered as a national tangible cultural property. (News On Japan)

Japan’s record-breaking bear crisis has entered a new and deadly phase, with authorities confirming that a 79-year-old woman missing in Akita Prefecture was found dead in the mountains, believed to be the 13th fatality from bear attacks this year. (News On Japan)

A woman armed with a knife was subdued by police after causing a disturbance inside a movie theater in Tokyo’s Kabukicho district on November 2nd. (News On Japan)

Police in Yokohama are investigating a possible case of corpse abandonment after a headless and partially dismembered body was found floating near Yamashita Park. (News On Japan)

Autumn foliage has reached its peak along the Irohazaka winding road in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, where maple, beech, and azalea trees are glowing in shades of red and yellow as streams of cars carrying tourists move slowly up the scenic route. (News On Japan)

A truck that had fallen into a river in the town of Okoppe on the Sea of Okhotsk side of Hokkaido was found on the morning of November 2nd, with the body of a man discovered inside. (News On Japan)

An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed at a poultry farm in Eniwa City, Hokkaido, prompting authorities to begin culling operations on Sunday afternoon. (News On Japan)

A suspicious package was discovered at Keihan Railway’s Chushojima Station in Kyoto on November 1st, prompting police to investigate the possibility of an explosive device. (News On Japan)

In the 18th installment of the series “Paths for Science Students,” Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Bank’s Eguchi offered a detailed look into the little-known but vital world of actuaries—professionals who apply mathematics, probability, and statistics to assess financial risks in pensions and insurance. (News On Japan)

Japan’s worsening bear problem has prompted calls for national intervention, but legal and operational barriers have complicated the government’s response. In 2025, bear attacks have reached record levels, leaving 12 people dead—double the previous high of six fatalities in 2023. (News On Japan)

Tokyo’s JR Yamanote Line marked the 100th anniversary of becoming a full loop around the city center in the Taisho era. The circular operation, which connects the capital’s major districts and links suburban private railways to terminal stations, laid the foundation for Tokyo’s urban development. (News On Japan)

JR Tokai has unveiled to the press the interior of its new Linear Chuo Shinkansen test train, the M10, currently undergoing trial runs. To reduce noise, the ceiling is covered with a membrane that also functions as a projection screen displaying scenery and maps. (News On Japan)

As expected, the previously outspoken U.S. President Donald Trump did not win the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. However, he was forced to put on a brave face—Venezuela’s María Machado was the recipient. (News On Japan)

[03:00] Typhoon No. 25 (Kalmaegi) is currently located east of the Philippines and moving westward. It is expected to intensify while passing near the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and approaching Vietnam. Meteorological agencies say there will be no direct impact on Japan. (News On Japan)