A Kansai-born Australian Shepherd named Ash, now seven years old, has been rigorously trained as a disaster rescue dog, working tirelessly to locate missing people in times of crisis. (News On Japan)

JR’s online reservation systems, long operated separately by different regional companies, will be linked together for the first time in an effort to eliminate the inconvenience faced by passengers when booking tickets across multiple areas. (News On Japan)

The Akasaka Hikawa Festival, a traditional event dating back to the Edo period, reached its final day in Tokyo’s Akasaka district with sixteen portable shrines parading through the streets, filling the area with lively chants and large crowds of spectators. (News On Japan)

Fatal bear encounters are rising sharply across Japan, with injuries and deaths reported at a pace matching the worst year on record. Experts warn that both stricter population control and preventive measures to keep bears away from human settlements are urgently needed. (News On Japan)

Former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi announced her candidacy in the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election, set to be officially declared next week, unveiling a platform centered on bold “growth investment.” Her policy package also incorporates some opposition proposals, signaling an openness to potential collaboration. (News On Japan)

The Consumer Affairs Agency announced that Ajinomoto and Inglewood are suspected of engaging in stealth marketing practices in connection with their frozen home-delivery meal brand, "Aete." The companies allegedly asked individuals to post on social media in exchange for free products and later republished those posts on sales sites. (News On Japan)

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has approved making the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis available without a prescription, opening the way for its sale as Japan’s first over-the-counter treatment for the condition. (News On Japan)

The iconic Red Gate of the University of Tokyo, long seen as a symbol and goal for aspiring students hoping to "walk through the gate," is now closed due to seismic safety concerns. (News On Japan)

Sales of the "Halloween Jumbo Lottery," which offers a top prize of 500 million yen including supplementary prizes, began nationwide on September 19th. (News On Japan)

Sales of the "Halloween Jumbo Lottery," which offers a top prize of 500 million yen including supplementary prizes, began nationwide on September 19th. (News On Japan)

Monkeys are running wild in Yugawara, one of Kanagawa Prefecture’s best-known hot spring towns, raiding homes, attacking dogs, and eating whatever they please, from bananas to bread. (News On Japan)

A Japanese team has won the Ig Nobel Prize for the 19th consecutive year, with this year’s Biology Prize awarded to research demonstrating that painting stripes on cows helps repel insects. (News On Japan)

Seven-Eleven Japan has completed a large-scale overhaul of the store system used by about 21,000 outlets nationwide, five years after the project was conceived. The new system represents a major step in digital transformation, replacing the company’s traditional infrastructure with a cloud-based model designed to enhance efficiency and service. (News On Japan)

The Bank of Japan decided on September 19th to maintain its policy interest rate at 0.5 percent, marking the fifth consecutive meeting without a rate change. The decision, backed by a majority of the Policy Board, comes as the central bank monitors the impact of U.S. tariffs known as the “Trump tariffs.” (News On Japan)

An interactive restaurant called the ‘Future Train’ will open on September 20th in Umekoji, Kyoto. The concept features a futuristic station where a train bound for tomorrow awaits. (News On Japan)

Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama said on September 18th that the city is considering halting new applications for so-called special zone minpaku, or private lodging businesses, in response to a string of neighborhood disputes. (News On Japan)

Marking the 94th anniversary of the Mukden Incident that sparked the Manchurian Incident, China released the film '731' on September 18, which centers on Unit 731, a former Japanese military unit allegedly engaged in the development of biological weapons. (News On Japan)

The Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture held the Ofunashiro Festival on September 17th, a ritual in preparation for the 2033 Shikinen Sengu, the periodic rebuilding of its sanctuary. The ceremony involves felling sacred timber used to make the vessel known as the Ofunashiro, which holds the sacred container called the Mihishiro for enshrining the deity. (News On Japan)

A research group including Okayama University of Science announced in the British scientific journal Nature on September 17th that they have discovered the world’s oldest fossil of a pachycephalosaur, a dinosaur recognized for its thick, dome-shaped skull and often called the “headbutting dinosaur.” (News On Japan)

Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito announced that the prefecture will not host a victory parade for the Hanshin Tigers, citing sharply rising costs compared with the previous event. (News On Japan)