Vast hillsides have been cleared for the construction of a large-scale solar power facility in Kamogawa, Chiba Prefecture, leaving piles of felled trees scattered across the slopes. The development covers approximately 146 hectares, or the size of 32 Tokyo Domes, and involves cutting down about 365,000 trees to make way for 470,000 solar panels. (News On Japan)

Japan has entered the autumn travel season, with visitors across the country enjoying colorful foliage, seasonal foods, and cultural traditions. (News On Japan)

Kings and Generals animated historical documentary series on the early modern era and history of Japan. (Kings and Generals)

Around 60 percent of hospitals across Japan are operating in the red, creating a critical situation where closures and bankruptcies are no longer a distant threat. Behind the figures lies a deepening financial crisis that is raising questions about whether patients can continue to rely on stable access to medical care. (News On Japan)

A man in his 60s was found bleeding and collapsed inside a cattle barn in Tsugaru, Aomori Prefecture on the morning of October 2nd, later dying after his condition suddenly worsened. (News On Japan)

The iconic New Year’s Eve bell at Chion-in Temple in Kyoto will shift to a fully paid and reservation-only system this year, with entry limited to 2,000 people, in response to overwhelming crowds in recent years. (News On Japan)

Princess Aiko, the daughter of the Emperor and Empress, has tested positive for Covid-19, the Imperial Household Agency announced on October 2nd, cancelling her scheduled trip to Shiga Prefecture on October 5th and 6th to observe the National Sports Festival. (News On Japan)

A system failure caused by a cyberattack at beverage giant Asahi Group shows no sign of resolution, disrupting deliveries and leaving some supermarket shelves empty. (News On Japan)

Maebashi Mayor Akira Ogawa held a closed-door meeting with all city council members on October 2nd to explain her repeated hotel meetings with a married senior city official, but afterward she avoided stating whether she would resign. (News On Japan)

A massive tornado-like phenomenon was observed late in the morning of October 2nd off the coast of Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture’s Shonai region, with thick swirling clouds rising high into the sky as seawater was drawn upward. (News On Japan)

Japan is about to hold the leadership election of the ruling party, and the winner will become the next prime minister. Five candidates are in the running this time. Some people say Japan is doomed no matter who wins. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

The Okinawa region experienced record-breaking heat in September, with average temperatures 1.6 degrees Celsius above normal, the highest since records began. (News On Japan)

The upcoming Liberal Democratic Party leadership election will determine not only who leads Japan’s ruling party but also who is likely to become the country’s next prime minister, and the voting system itself plays a decisive role in shaping the outcome. The election is decided by a combination of votes from LDP lawmakers in the National Diet and ballots cast by the party’s grassroots members across Japan, creating a two-stage process that balances national and local influence. (News On Japan)

With the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election just days away, questions have emerged over the handling of a clerical error in Kanagawa Prefecture’s membership rolls, an organization chaired by Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. (News On Japan)

At Yamba Dam, a well-known sightseeing spot in Gunma Prefecture, visitors were surprised by an unusual scene: a group of monkeys scratching themselves and gazing out at the view as if enjoying the scenery. Unlike the occasional lone monkey, this time a whole troop appeared. (News On Japan)

Heavy rainfall battered parts of Hokkaido, with some areas receiving more than a month’s worth of precipitation in only six hours, prompting flood warnings and evacuation advisories. Meteorologists are saying the downpour was the result of a combination of unstable atmospheric conditions and moist air flowing in from the sea. (News On Japan)

A two-story wooden house collapsed in Tokyo’s Suginami Ward on the night of September 30th, with experts suggesting that the ground beneath the property, rather than the building itself, gave way, likely due to a cracked retaining wall. (News On Japan)

A luxury hotel with rates reaching as high as 3.75 million yen per night has opened near Nagoya Castle, aiming to attract wealthy guests from Japan and abroad. (News On Japan)

Nagoya’s entertainment district is once again under scrutiny after an undercover investigation revealed deceptive billing practices and aggressive solicitation tactics at local bars. (News On Japan)

A woman in her 30s was found dead with multiple stab wounds in Higashi-Osaka after a man who claimed to have stabbed someone turned himself in at a local police station. (News On Japan)