Japan began producing a commemorative 1,000-yen silver coin marking 100 years since the start of the Showa era at the Japan Mint in Osaka on August 31, with a first-striking ceremony held to mark the start of production. (News On Japan)

A fire broke out at a shopping arcade near Ise Jingu in Ise, Mie Prefecture, on the afternoon of August 31, sending red flames and thick black smoke into the air as firefighters continued battling the blaze with no immediate prospect of bringing it under control. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks ended mixed on August 31, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 66,311.93, down 93.63 points, or 0.14%, after briefly plunging more than 1,500 points in early trading, while the broader TOPIX rose 9.58 points, or 0.23%, to 4,156.29 for its eighth straight gain. (News On Japan)

About one in three unmarried young people in Japan say they have no intention of marrying, according to the first large-scale survey of young people conducted by the Children and Families Agency, with financial insecurity emerging as the biggest perceived obstacle to marriage. (News On Japan)

Japan's benchmark long-term interest rate briefly climbed to 2.95% on August 31, its highest level in about 30 years, as investors sold government bonds on expectations of further Bank of Japan rate increases, rising U.S. yields and concerns over the outlook for government spending. (News On Japan)

Japan's education ministry unveiled a draft of its new national curriculum guidelines on August 31, placing stronger information education for the AI era and greater flexibility in allocating classroom hours among the central pillars of the major overhaul carried out roughly once every decade. (News On Japan)

Japan's high school baseball national team began preparations for the U-18 Asian Baseball Championship with a training session in Yokohama on August 28, as the squad looks to capture the continental title at the tournament opening in Taiwan on September 7. (News On Japan)

From September 4 to 13, the German capital will become the epicenter of women’s basketball. (News On Japan)

Curry restaurant chain CoCo Ichibanya will introduce a late-night surcharge for the first time from September 1 and raise prices on a dozen toppings as higher ingredient, packaging and labor costs put pressure on operations. (News On Japan)

Eleven passengers were rescued from an attraction at Legoland Japan in Nagoya on August 30 after a door failed to open, leaving them trapped for about 30 minutes, with no injuries or reports of illness. (News On Japan)

New Chitose Airport is transforming into a destination for travelers and local visitors alike after passenger numbers reached a record 26 million in 2025, with new direct flights to North America, upgraded security facilities and a major anime-themed commercial area planned for summer 2027. (News On Japan)

Guests were evacuated from a restaurant at Tokyo Disneyland on August 30 after smoke emerged from a customer's bag, with police investigating a mobile battery inside the bag as the suspected source. (News On Japan)

Japan is moving to strengthen its defenses against mass drone attacks after Terra Drone became the sole company to advance through a Defense Ministry program for a Japanese-made interceptor drone, drawing on battlefield technology and production methods developed in Ukraine while pushing for domestic production of critical components. (News On Japan)

Families and children tried their hand at cricket at an event in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, on August 29, designed to build interest in the sport ahead of its competition at the Asian Games. (News On Japan)

Wakayama Prefecture has conducted its first field exercise for emergency bear shooting, bringing together local government officials, police and hunters to practice responding to an Asiatic black bear remaining near a riverbank as sightings continue across Japan. (News On Japan)

Three teenage boys who went missing after being swept offshore from the coast of Ichikikushikino, Kagoshima Prefecture, on August 28 were found in the sea near the scene on August 29 and confirmed dead. (News On Japan)

A foreign man in his 30s suffered serious injuries after being struck by a car while riding a bicycle in Higashiomi, Shiga Prefecture, early on August 29, with police investigating the incident as a hit-and-run. (News On Japan)

Record-breaking rainfall continued across the Hokuriku region on Saturday, with Himi City in Toyama Prefecture receiving more than 500 millimeters over 72 hours, as authorities warned of further heavy rain, landslides and river flooding through August 30. (News On Japan)

Toyota Motor plans to introduce passenger vehicles equipped with advanced automated driving technology from 2028, allowing drivers to travel with almost no manual operation, including taking their hands off the steering wheel on ordinary roads. (News On Japan)

Consumer prices in central Tokyo rose 1.8% in August from a year earlier, with the pace of inflation accelerating for a third consecutive month as higher food prices continued to put upward pressure on household costs. (News On Japan)