Across Japan, water rates are being raised as aging infrastructure and population decline place mounting pressure on municipal waterworks, with a survey by Tokai TV revealing that many operators see no path forward without structural change, prompting new approaches that go beyond conventional frameworks to address what is being called a water crisis. (News On Japan)

The wave of price increases continued into October, with more than 3,000 items, including beverages and food, set to rise in price, leaving supermarkets and retailers grappling with how to respond. (News On Japan)

An anti-immigration rally in Osaka on September 30th descended into chaos as nationalist groups and Antifa counter-protesters clashed in the streets, with loud chants, heated exchanges, and occasional physical altercations captured on camera. (News On Japan)

A terror plot in 1949 changed Japan forever. But who really did it? (Spectacles)

A travel vlogger shares their excitement upon arriving in Tokyo from Osaka, calling the city their favorite in Japan and possibly the world. (News On Japan)

North Safari Sapporo, a private zoo in the southern district of Sapporo, closed its doors on September 30th after 20 years of operation, leaving around 300 animals including lions and wolves without a confirmed relocation plan. (News On Japan)

A Spanish tourist in Japan has become the subject of widespread criticism after a series of videos showed him pushing a passenger on a train, firing fireworks at a karaoke shop, and intruding into a shrine, with condemnation spreading even to his home country. (News On Japan)

Getting stopped by police and charged with driving without a license can feel overwhelming. (News On Japan)

Saudi Arabia is advancing its national project Vision 2030 to achieve a post-oil society by the end of the decade, with the Riyadh Expo positioned as its grand culmination, and Japan is aiming to secure a foothold in the initiative by providing technologies such as decarbonization systems and expertise in hosting world expos, while also looking to translate this involvement into domestic economic growth. (News On Japan)

From October, Japan’s minimum wage will rise across the country to exceed 1,000 yen for the first time, a development welcomed by workers but one that is expected to squeeze retailers such as discount supermarkets where higher personnel costs could lead to losses. (News On Japan)

Osaka City decided on September 30th to suspend new applications for so-called special zone minpaku, a category of private lodging that has seen a sharp rise in disputes with local residents. (News On Japan)

A man on trial for fatally shooting relatives with a crossbow in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, claimed in court on September 30th that the victims were "people who deserved to be killed" and added that he wants to be executed as soon as possible. (News On Japan)

A hairdresser operating a salon in Tokyo’s Omotesando district has been arrested on suspicion of luring a female client into the restroom and committing indecent acts, raising questions about how a well-known stylist with a large clientele carried out such conduct. (News On Japan)

Removal work has begun at an underground parking facility in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, where 274 vehicles were submerged during record rainfall on September 12th. (News On Japan)

NTT, which had previously announced plans to gradually phase out fixed-line metal cables over the next decade, said at a briefing on September 30th that it will raise basic charges from next fiscal year to temporarily maintain the service. (News On Japan)

Office rents in Osaka are rising at the fastest pace in the world, driven by a wave of new developments in Umeda such as the recently opened Grand Green Osaka, which has brought fresh momentum to the city’s commercial real estate market. (News On Japan)

A fire broke out near Haneda Airport in Tokyo’s Ota Ward around 9:10 a.m. on Monday at a demolition site, with black smoke seen rising from the area, according to the Tokyo Fire Department. (News On Japan)

Photos of cult founder Shoko Asahara, whose real name was Chizuo Matsumoto and who was executed for his role in the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, are being displayed alongside childhood pictures of his son in facilities linked to Aleph, the successor group to Aum Shinrikyo, according to findings by the Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA). (News On Japan)

Asahi Group Holdings said on September 29th that a cyberattack had caused a major system failure which has yet to be restored and shows no signs of resolution, with the impact now spreading across its operations even as the company stressed that no leaks of personal information or customer data have been confirmed. (News On Japan)

In a September opinion poll conducted by TV Tokyo and the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, former Minister of State for Economic Security Takaichi was the frontrunner with 34% when respondents were asked who they believed should be the next Liberal Democratic Party president. (News On Japan)