Municipalities across Japan are raising the cost of designated garbage bags as waste disposal expenses increase, with one town in Hokkaido proposing a 4.5-fold price hike from 385 yen to 1,735 yen for a pack of 10 bags, while growing pressure on incineration facilities is prompting debate over whether more cities should introduce paid household garbage collection. (News On Japan)

Japan's inflation-adjusted wages rose 2.2% in September from a year earlier, marking the ninth consecutive month of growth and the longest sustained increase in about a decade, as slower price increases helped boost workers' purchasing power. (News On Japan)

East Japan Railway (JR East) opened its Haneda Airport Access Line construction site to the media on November 6, offering a glimpse of a major underground railway project that will connect Haneda Airport directly with central Tokyo, with services scheduled to begin in fiscal 2031. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government approved the allocation of 10 billion yen from its fiscal 2026 general account reserve funds on November 6 to strengthen cybersecurity measures, including inspections of vulnerabilities in government computer systems and upgrades to security equipment. (News On Japan)

Nissan Motor is stepping up efforts to revive its struggling business through new vehicle development, sweeping cost reductions and an overhaul of its sales strategy, as President and CEO Ivan Espinosa seeks to restore the Japanese automaker's competitiveness following consecutive years of massive losses. (News On Japan)

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunged 3,643 points, or 5.96%, to close at 57,435 on Friday, November 6, 2026, marking its fifth consecutive daily decline and one of the largest point losses in its history, as a global selloff in technology stocks spread across the Tokyo market and raised concerns about the sustainability of artificial intelligence investment and corporate valuations. (News On Japan)

Delivery rooms in Japan are some of the safest with fewer than two infant deaths per 1,000 births. As a result, many families may assume that complications during delivery are unlikely to happen to them. (News On Japan)

Late-night Slack pings, back-to-back video calls, and relentless release cycles have become routine for many working in technology. Employees are often handed access to meditation apps, yoga classes, or lunchtime breathing sessions as a way to “beat burnout.” (News On Japan)

A government bill to reduce Japan's consumption tax on food from 8% to 1% for two years starting in April 2027 was approved by the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Affairs on November 6, with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Innovation Party securing a majority in favor of the legislation. (News On Japan)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree placing the Russian operations of Japan Tobacco (JT) under the temporary management of a local company, effectively stripping the Japanese tobacco giant of control over its business in the country and prompting a formal protest from Tokyo demanding that the measure be immediately withdrawn. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks suffered a sharp sell-off on November 6 as growing concerns over a slowdown in artificial intelligence investment sent the Nikkei 225 plunging more than 4,300 points at one stage, pushing the benchmark below the psychologically important 60,000 level following a sweeping Democratic victory in the U.S. midterm elections. (News On Japan)

A married couple from Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, has been arrested on suspicion of secretly filming women changing clothes and bathing at public bathing facilities, with police saying the pair carried out around 100 illicit recordings and earned approximately 5 million yen by selling the footage online. (News On Japan)

Residents of Awaji Island, one of the Kansai region's most popular resort destinations, are facing growing disruption from vacation rentals, with complaints involving late-night drinking, outdoor barbecues, fireworks, illegal parking and garbage disposal violations, while one property operator has been accused of destroying a warning sign installed by neighbors. (News On Japan)

Sony Group reported a record net profit of 791.7 billion yen for the six months from April to September 2026, up 38% from a year earlier, driven by strong performance in its film business, including the worldwide success of a new installment in the Spider-Man franchise. (News On Japan)

A Japanese slang term describing children hooked on the instant stimulation of short videos and social media has been nominated for the country's 2026 New Words and Buzzwords Awards, highlighting growing concerns about declining attention spans and the pressure to consume digital content at ever-increasing speeds. (News On Japan)

A former host club worker in Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district and a recruiter have been arrested on suspicion of exploiting a woman's romantic feelings to persuade her to work at sex establishments, with police alleging that the former host promised they could travel together if she helped him earn enough money. (News On Japan)

A bear cub charged toward a family standing outside their home in Ome, western Tokyo, on November 3rd, rushing straight toward the front door moments after a high-pitched cry was heard from nearby bushes, in an encounter that left the resident shaken. (News On Japan)

A 42-year-old mother accused of killing her two children at their apartment in Ibaraki Prefecture in July 2023 was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Mito District Court on November 5th, after judges ruled that her ability to stop herself from committing the crime had been severely impaired by her mental condition, resulting in a sentence 10 years shorter than prosecutors had requested. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government is preparing to establish a new cybersecurity response team comprising experts from the public and private sectors, with plans to dispatch specialists to companies and organizations facing serious cyberattacks following a series of unauthorized intrusions and information leaks. (News On Japan)

Six Pakistani nationals have been arrested on suspicion of repeatedly operating unauthorized taxi services for foreign tourists in Kyoto and other sightseeing destinations, with police investigating what they believe may be an organized operation involving additional suspects. (News On Japan)