Autumn travel to Nikko, which draws visitors from across Japan for its bright foliage, is seeing an unexpected wave of vehicle troubles on mountain roads, with everything from flat tires and sudden breakdowns to off-road mishaps and stranded foreign tourists prompting repeated calls for roadside assistance during busy weekends in November. (News On Japan)

Kamakura City, known internationally as the setting for the hit anime “SLAM DUNK,” plans to halt the issuance of its popular local license plates at the end of January 2026, raising debate among residents who question why a design long cherished by locals must be discontinued. (News On Japan)

A large-scale solar project planned near the Kushiro Wetland in Hokkaido is facing renewed backlash after the developer offered local residents what it described as a “beautification cooperation payment,” prompting accusations that the company is trying to buy consent for the construction. (News On Japan)

Osaka’s Minami district, one of the busiest entertainment areas in Kansai, is grappling with a worsening garbage problem as the sharp increase in foreign visitors coincides with a rise in litter throughout the area, and when the reporting team walked through the neighborhood last week they found trash piling up in abandoned bicycle baskets and food containers tossed into alleyways just off the main shopping streets. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government is preparing to release a new damage projection for a major earthquake striking directly beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area by the end of the year, and interviews with officials familiar with the assessment indicate that in the worst-case scenario the death toll could reach 18,000, while economic losses are estimated at 83 trillion yen. (News On Japan)