Two 14-year-old junior high school students in Aichi Prefecture have been arrested on suspicion of obstructing traffic while performing dangerous bicycle stunts linked to group rides known on social media as Nagoya Ride. (News On Japan)

Families were given a rare opportunity to explore a newly built ship about 180 meters long during a public event at Hakodate Dock in Hokkaido on September 6, as the shipbuilder prepares to celebrate its 130th anniversary. (News On Japan)

Police are investigating whether a dispute between a 70-year-old man and the female owner of a cake shop in Motosu, Gifu Prefecture, was connected to a murder and arson case that left three people dead and two others injured during a middle school reunion. (News On Japan)

Raccoons are increasingly appearing in urban areas of Japan, including residential neighborhoods near Shin-Osaka Station, raising concerns over disease, attacks on people and agricultural damage that reached about 700 million yen nationwide last year. (News On Japan)

The Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly elected a new chairman after the resignation of longtime power broker Isao Kuranouchi, while a photograph showing an opposition lawmaker striking a pose reminiscent of the movie Titanic during an overseas inspection trip has triggered a fresh political controversy. (News On Japan)

Seven Myanmar nationals working at an agricultural corporation in Hokkaido under Japan's Specified Skilled Worker status have accused their employer of repeated violence, intimidation and financial penalties, with some workers saying they were also called by numbers instead of their names and threatened with having their residence status revoked. (News On Japan)

Large volumes of floodwater poured into the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, following heavy rain on September 7, prompting the massive underground flood-control facility known as the "Underground Temple" to go into operation. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government faced a sharper market test on September 9 as the yen’s rapid rebound began pressuring global carry trades, turning expectations of a Bank of Japan rate hike into a political challenge for an administration still trying to balance household relief, fiscal discipline and economic security. (News On Japan)

Women now make up a growing share of customers at Akihabara maid cafes, reflecting a shift in Japan's "oshi-katsu" fan culture as visitors increasingly seek not only someone to support, but also a sense of two-way connection with the maids they admire. (News On Japan)

Universal Studios Japan unveiled its 2026 Halloween event to the media on September 9, a day before its public opening on September 10, featuring a record number of zombies and the park's first horror attraction restricted to visitors aged 18 and over. (News On Japan)

Closures and bankruptcies among Japanese rice farmers are running at a record pace in 2026, with 32 cases recorded from January through August as an aging workforce, rising costs and falling rice prices make it increasingly difficult for producers to remain in business. (News On Japan)

Japan's men's volleyball team defeated Australia in straight sets on September 9 to complete the preliminary round of the Asian Championship with three consecutive victories, advancing to the knockout stage as pool winner and moving within three wins of securing a place at the Los Angeles Olympics. (News On Japan)

Traffic accidents involving rental cars driven by foreign visitors are rising sharply in Japan, with some rental car businesses even stopping rentals to overseas tourists as concerns grow over unfamiliar traffic rules and driving practices. (News On Japan)

Osaka Metro plans to abolish magnetic tickets and replace them with QR code-based tickets around fiscal 2031, as declining use and the cost of maintaining conventional ticket gates accelerate the shift toward digital fare systems. (News On Japan)

A landslide on Mount Fuji buried three vehicles as torrential rain battered wide areas of Japan on September 9, while Nagoya continued to assess extensive flooding damage a day after the city recorded its heaviest hourly rainfall on record. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks edged lower on September 9, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 65,143, down 126.55 points, as a stronger yen and crude oil’s move toward $100 outweighed support from selected artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares. (News On Japan)

A 62-year-old Kyoto Prefectural Government employee has been suspended for three months after repeatedly entering a women's restroom at his workplace and taking used sanitary products, with the employee subsequently resigning voluntarily. (News On Japan)

Osaka-based spray nozzle maker IKEUCHI is expanding applications for its proprietary "Dry Fog," an ultra-fine mist that can cool, humidify and create visual effects without leaving surfaces wet, with the technology now being used in factories, livestock farming, crop cultivation and tourist attractions in Japan and overseas. (News On Japan)

Fluorescent lamps that have illuminated Japanese homes and workplaces for decades are approaching the end of production, with Panasonic preparing to wind down a business it has operated since 1951 while experts warn that incorrectly replacing some fixtures with LEDs could create a fire risk. (News On Japan)

Prosecutors have sought a fine of 200,000 yen for entertainer Dewi Sukarno, widely known in Japan as Dewi Fujin, who is charged with two counts of assault against former members of her agency staff, arguing that the 86-year-old has not shown sufficient reflection on her actions. (News On Japan)