Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has strongly condemned the arrest of a U.S. Marine on suspicion of robbery and murder at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa, describing the crime as "extremely brutal and vicious," while Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass to lodge a formal protest and demand measures to prevent similar incidents. (News On Japan)

Nearly one year after the Osaka-Kansai Expo closed, the former exhibition grounds were opened to the media on October 2, revealing that around 90% of the pavilions and other facilities have been demolished, while the Forest of Tranquility remains a peaceful green space at the center of the site. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks fell on October 2, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 68,309, down 647 points, as investors took profits after the previous day’s sharp rally and turned cautious ahead of U.S. employment data, rising global bond yields and renewed concern over energy prices. (News On Japan)

Japan's unemployment rate rose to 2.5% in August, up 0.1 percentage point from July, marking the first deterioration in five months, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. (News On Japan)

Osaka will launch regular nighttime sightseeing cruises on October 3, offering visitors a new way to enjoy the city's illuminated waterfront, including the historic architecture of Nakanoshima and the skyline surrounding Osaka Castle. (News On Japan)

Miresso, a Japanese startup backed by trading house Mitsui & Co., has announced the start of construction of a facility to produce beryllium, a rare metal essential for nuclear fusion power generation, with plans to manufacture 100 tons annually, equivalent to about one-third of current global production. (News On Japan)

Hokkaido's highest peak, Mount Asahidake in the Daisetsuzan mountain range, recorded its first snow cover of the season on October 2, with the area around the Asahidake Ropeway's Sugatami Station, at an elevation of approximately 1,600 meters, blanketed in snow. (News On Japan)

Japan has begun detailed discussions on a new system to make childbirth free of charge, with the government aiming to introduce nationwide coverage by June 2028 and the establishment of a uniform national price for deliveries emerging as the central issue. (News On Japan)

Time magazine has named Shoko Kawata, the 36-year-old mayor of Yawata in Kyoto Prefecture, among its 100 most influential emerging figures worldwide, recognizing her decision to become Japan's first sitting mayor to take maternity leave and highlighting a political career that has taken her from municipal administration to national politics and the leadership of a city of nearly 70,000 people. (News On Japan)

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)