Archaeological surveys conducted in Gose City, Nara Prefecture, have uncovered additional burial remains that, when combined with previously excavated sites in the area, have revealed what is now understood to be the largest communal cemetery ever found in the prefecture. (News On Japan)

The long-term interest rate briefly reached its highest level in 18 and a half years when the yield on the newly issued 10-year Japanese government bond rose to 1.910 percent on the Tokyo bond market on December 4th, reflecting speculation that the Bank of Japan will move toward an additional rate hike sooner rather than later while concerns over fiscal deterioration under the Taichi administration’s expansionary spending continue to drive selling of government bonds. (News On Japan)

The amount of property left behind by deceased individuals with no legal heirs and subsequently transferred to the state reached a record 129.1 billion yen in fiscal 2024, highlighting a steady rise in unclaimed estates as Japan’s population ages. (News On Japan)

Nissan is considering a plan to compensate employees who transfer from its Oppama plant in Kanagawa to the company’s Kyushu factory by paying in advance the equivalent of five years’ worth of reduced monthly wages, according to reporting obtained by JNN. (News On Japan)

Tokyo’s Tsukiji Outer Market has taken the unusual step of asking tourists not to visit in December as operators move to prevent crowd-related accidents during the busy year-end shopping season, with local officials also confirming that Shibuya’s New Year’s Eve countdown will be canceled for the sixth consecutive year. (News On Japan)

A former teacher accused of secretly filming women by placing miniature cameras in a high school changing room and restroom faced sentencing at the Utsunomiya District Court on July 12th, with prosecutors demanding 1 year and 6 months of imprisonment. (News On Japan)

Abe Akie appeared at the Nara District Court on December 3rd for the lay judge trial of the shooting that killed former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, marking the first time she has attended proceedings in person. Akie arrived in the courtroom shortly after 1 p.m. wearing a navy jacket and bowed toward the gallery as she entered, while the court continued a scheduled witness examination of Sakurai Yoshihide, a religious scholar and specially appointed professor at Hokkaido University. (News On Japan)

Kobe welcomed a new waterfront destination this year as the redevelopment of the former Shinko No. 2 Pier area gave rise to TOTTEI, a spacious coastal district designed to connect the city more closely with the sea while offering visitors a range of leisure attractions that highlight the port city’s unique blend of ocean and mountains. (News On Japan)

A surge in prices is hitting local festivals across Japan, with the centuries-old Chichibu Night Festival, one of the nation’s three major float festivals, reducing its traditional fireworks program by 200 shots after pyrotechnic costs soared, as the Highashi administration rolls out inflation countermeasures that aim to support households but have prompted concerns that they may end up accelerating inflation instead, raising questions about how these policies will ultimately affect everyday life. (News On Japan)

As Japan enters what many now call the “100-year life era,” the question of how to finance a much longer old age has become unavoidable, with rising living costs and modest pensions leaving many seniors struggling to make ends meet and searching for ways to supplement their income. (News On Japan)

Police have arrested a man in his 30s after he allegedly entered a banquet hall at Hotel MiraCosta inside Tokyo DisneySea on December 1st while carrying what appeared to be a knife before fleeing the scene, with authorities locating him the following day in Kawasaki City. (News On Japan)

A bear was caught on camera intruding into a residential property in Yamagata on November 30th, underscoring how reports of bear damage continue even as the winter season takes hold and conditions grow colder. (News On Japan)

Living organisms require protein synthesis as one of their processes to enable the cells to produce the needed proteins for their structure. It also helps with repairs and various other functions, and any interruption can cause different cellular responses. (News On Japan)

Two male workers died after becoming trapped beneath a vacuum truck on a municipal road in Hita, Oita, with emergency responders confirming on December 1st that both had suffered fatal injuries after the vehicle appeared to move unexpectedly while they were preparing to begin waste collection work. (News On Japan)

A group of motorbikes roaring through the streets of Matsuyama late at night was witnessed in June 2025, as riders ignored police warnings and sped erratically through the city, weaving across lanes and provoking officers by taking off their shirts and swinging their jackets while continuing to ride through red lights in a display that put both themselves and nearby pedestrians at risk. (News On Japan)

A fire broke out recently in Kyoto’s Pontocho district, yet despite the area’s narrow alleyways and tightly packed wooden buildings, the damage was limited to the complete loss of a single establishment with no injuries reported. (News On Japan)

The annual winter-only Sennin Bath opened along the riverbed of Kawayu Onsen in Tanabe, Wakayama, on December 1st, drawing visitors with its open-air pools heated by hot spring water bubbling up naturally from beneath the river. (News On Japan)

The Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin have agreed on a framework to ensure the effectiveness of legislation aimed at reducing the number of seats in the House of Representatives, deciding that if no conclusion is reached within one year, roughly 10 percent of seats across both single-member districts and proportional representation blocs will be cut. (News On Japan)

A series of torrential rains have triggered what authorities describe as the worst flooding in years across Southeast Asia, leaving more than 600 people dead and forcing Japanese nationals in several countries to flee for safety. JNN reporters gained access to heavily damaged areas in southern Thailand, where the impact has been severe. (News On Japan)

A pair of brothers inspired by the manga ‘Space Brothers’ are advancing technologies for agriculture in space while also accelerating soil regeneration on Earth, achieving improvements in as little as one month through their company Toeing, led by CEO Nishida Kohei and CTO Nishida Ryoya, which is drawing attention for research that could support future space habitation and contribute to decarbonization efforts on the ground. (News On Japan)