Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, arrived in Tottori Prefecture on October 19 for her first visit to the region, where she is scheduled to attend a national disaster prevention conference and a symposium on disaster preparedness. (News On Japan)

Subaru unveiled experimental vehicles equipped with a new driver assistance system on October 18, introducing technology that can automatically guide a vehicle to a safe roadside location when the driver becomes incapacitated, with plans to introduce the system in production models by the late 2020s. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has accepted the resignation of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Kazuo Yana following controversial remarks about cutting government funding to municipalities that did not support him in an election, ending nearly two weeks of mounting criticism and leaving unresolved allegations of political pressure and election law violations. (News On Japan)

Police in Gunma Prefecture rearrested a 30-year-old man on October 18 on suspicion of murdering his former mother-in-law at her home in Ota City last month, following an attack that also left the woman's eldest son injured. (News On Japan)

Japan will launch its H3 rocket No. 10 from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at 4:41 a.m. on October 20, carrying a spacecraft designed to collect rocks and sand from Phobos, one of Mars' two moons, and return them to Earth in what would be the world's first successful mission of its kind. (News On Japan)

International hacking group Qilin has claimed responsibility for a ransomware attack on subsidiaries of Keio Railway in late September, publishing images allegedly showing internal company documents and displaying a countdown believed to indicate a deadline for releasing stolen data, while the railway operator said it is investigating the claims. (News On Japan)

Atsumi Harasawa, a 59-year-old lawyer making her first bid for mayor, won Yokohama's mayoral election on October 18, defeating former Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka, whose resignation over allegations of workplace bullying prompted the vote. (News On Japan)

Japanese stocks rebounded sharply on October 16, with the Nikkei 225 closing 898 points higher at 65,324, a gain of 1.39%, as investors returned to technology, semiconductor and financial shares following six consecutive sessions of losses. The recovery came after a dramatic sell-off the previous day, when the benchmark plunged 3,318 points, its third-largest point decline on record, reflecting growing concerns about the sustainability of global artificial intelligence investment and its impact on corporate earnings. (News On Japan)

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)

Burger King Japan has announced that approximately 11.18 million records containing personal information of its official app members were leaked following unauthorized access to its systems between October 2 and October 7. (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)