Toyota Motor Corporation announced that the planned tender offer (TOB) for its founding company, Toyota Industries, will be delayed from the original schedule of December to February 2026 or later due to pending antitrust procedures. (News On Japan)
The Naha District Court’s Okinawa branch has ordered a group of former youths and their parents to pay more than 4 million yen in damages to Okinawa Prefecture over a riot that took place three years ago when a crowd surrounded the Okinawa Police Station and destroyed vehicles and other property. (News On Japan)
Former U.S. President Donald Trump took to social media to congratulate Japan following the selection of its first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, writing that "Japan has just elected its first female Prime Minister, a highly respected person of great wisdom and strength.” While Trump did not name Takaichi directly, his post came as she assumed leadership of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and was set to be formally elected as prime minister. (News On Japan)
Train services on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line remained suspended throughout the day on October 6th following a derailment the previous night, leaving commuters and students stranded and forcing many to queue for hours for replacement buses. In areas along the line, long lines formed at bus stops, and rental electric kick scooters quickly ran out as residents searched for alternative transport options. (News On Japan)
A hotel construction plan in the rural wasabi-growing area of Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture, has sparked strong opposition from local residents who fear it will damage the landscape and threaten the region’s iconic wasabi fields. (News On Japan)
Reskilling, the process of acquiring new skills to adapt to social and technological changes -- often referred to as “relearning” -- is attracting growing interest among Japan’s older population. (News On Japan)
Zines — short for “magazines” — are small, handmade booklets that allow individuals to express themselves freely without going through traditional publishers. Unlike commercial magazines, zines are self-funded and created entirely by individuals. Across Japan, zine fairs are drawing large crowds and fueling a quiet but powerful publishing trend. (News On Japan)
A tearful Kusama Richard Keita of the idol group Aぇ! Group was released from the Mita Police Station in Tokyo on October 6th around 2 p.m., wearing a black suit and bowing deeply as he apologized. With his voice trembling, he said, “I sincerely apologize for the trouble I have caused,” lowering his head for about ten seconds. (News On Japan)
Osaka University’s Shimon Sakaguchi, a specially appointed professor, has been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his groundbreaking work in immunology. Sakaguchi is best known for discovering “regulatory T cells,” a type of immune cell that suppresses excessive immune responses, a finding that has had far-reaching implications in medical science. (News On Japan)
The Resort Shirakami is a remarkable train because it’s available for those with JR Rail Passes! Just make a seat reservation. It takes you through some super scenic areas of Japan’s has a dining car and cafe, entertainment and more! (ONLY in JAPAN * GO)
The Nikkei Stock Average surged by more than 1,900 yen at one point on the Tokyo market on October 7th, setting a new intraday record high. It was the first time in history the index has climbed into the 47,000 range, surpassing the symbolic 46,000 mark. (News On Japan)
A security camera installed at a home in Sapporo’s Nishi Ward captured three bears, including two cubs, walking through a forested area on October 5th, prompting police to heighten their alert. (News On Japan)
A collision occurred on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line on the night of October 5th when a local train attempting to arrive at Kajigaya Station in Kawasaki City struck a stationary out-of-service train, causing several cars of the latter to derail. Investigators from the Japan Transport Safety Board arrived at the scene on the morning of October 6th to begin examining the cause of the accident. (News On Japan)
A future where people control machines simply by thinking may be closer than science fiction suggests. At the forefront of this research is Masayuki Hirata, a neurosurgeon and specially appointed professor at Osaka University’s Graduate School of Medicine, who is developing a brain-computer interface (BCI) that allows high-tech devices such as smartphones or robotic arms to be operated by thought. (News On Japan)
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Kyoto for the first time in six years to attend an international forum that began on October 5th, where discussions focused on the role and implications of artificial intelligence in society. (News On Japan)
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Kyoto for the first time in six years to attend an international forum that began on October 5th, where discussions focused on the role and implications of artificial intelligence in society. (News On Japan)
A Spanish tourist was attacked by a bear while visiting Shirakawa-go, the UNESCO World Heritage village in Gifu Prefecture known for its traditional thatched-roof houses, on October 5th. The incident adds to a growing number of bear encounters reported across Japan in recent weeks. (News On Japan)
From October, a new policy has come into effect requiring some people aged 75 and over to pay 20% of their medical costs at the counter, doubling the previous burden for many elderly patients. For those living on pensions, the increased costs are squeezing already tight household budgets and fueling concern about how to manage daily life. (News On Japan)
A mobile battery caught fire inside a train on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line on October 4th, injuring two women and disrupting operations on both northbound and southbound tracks. (News On Japan)
Richard Keita Kusama, a 29-year-old member of the idol group Aぇ! Group under STARTO Entertainment, was arrested by Tokyo Metropolitan Police on suspicion of public indecency. (News On Japan)
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