A shopping street in Gifu City was the scene of an unusual theft when a man stole six anime-related novels from a café storefront in just 20 seconds. (News On Japan)

Utagaki 歌垣, a wholesome Japanese festival that’s not at all inappropriate. (Linfamy)

Wakayama Prefecture, home to the largest number of remote islands in the Kansai region, offers travelers a mix of uninhabited and inhabited islands, breathtaking coastal scenery, and fresh seafood delicacies. The prefecture is dotted with 655 islands, each with its own natural and cultural attractions. (News On Japan)

The contrast between driving in Japan and the USA can catch many travelers off guard. Americans can start driving at 16, while Japanese drivers must wait until they're 18 to get a license. (News On Japan)

Long-term interest rates in Japan, which influence fixed mortgage rates, rose to their highest level in 17 years as the yield on 10-year government bonds briefly reached 1.665 percent in trading on September 22nd, the highest since 2008. (News On Japan)

Expanded access programs represent a critical bridge between experimental medicine and desperate medical need. (News On Japan)

Environment Minister Keiichiro Asao has expressed his view that construction of large-scale solar panel projects in the Kushiro Wetlands of Hokkaido should be restrained. (News On Japan)

The Emperor, Empress and their daughter Princess Aiko attended the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships together as a family on September 21st at the National Stadium in Tokyo. (News On Japan)

A traffic safety class was held in Osaka’s Miyakojima Ward as police aim to reduce accidents, which typically rise from autumn through the end of the year. (News On Japan)

Frozen tuna stored at minus 60 degrees Celsius are now being used as a new tool in electricity demand control. By temporarily shutting down refrigeration units and using the fish itself as a cooling agent to maintain storage temperatures, companies are beginning to reduce power consumption. (News On Japan)

Katsuura Hachiman Shrine in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture, held its annual festival on September 21st, drawing tourists with the spectacular "Underwater Purification" ritual in which carriers of the mikoshi, or portable shrine, leapt into the sea from the fishing port pier. (News On Japan)

Shizuoka Prefecture saw no fatalities from mountaineering accidents this summer for the first time in three years, while deaths from water-related accidents increased sharply. (News On Japan)

The highlight of the annual grand festival at Fujisaki Hachimangu Shrine in central Kumamoto, the sacred procession, was held on September 21st with decorated horses parading through the city center to the sound of festive music. (News On Japan)

A ceremony was held in Taipei on September 21st to mark the establishment of the Abe Shinzo Research Center at National Chengchi University, dedicated to studying the former prime minister’s diplomatic strategies with a particular focus on relations with Taiwan. (News On Japan)