Young men leaped onto horses racing at full speed through the grounds of Kasuga Shrine in Takahama, Aichi Prefecture, on October 3 as the city's traditional Takahama Omanto Festival got underway. (News On Japan)

A first-of-its-kind sleep competition was held in Tokyo on October 5, with contestants competing for a 2.22 million yen top prize by trying to achieve the deepest, fastest and most stable sleep during a 90-minute session. (News On Japan)

Japan defeated New Zealand 2-1 in the Kirin Cup final at MUFG Stadium, formerly the National Stadium, in Tokyo on October 5, securing the title in what was head coach Hajime Moriyasu's final home match before stepping down. (News On Japan)

Daiwa Securities said on October 5 that about 220,000 records containing customer personal information may have been leaked following unauthorized access to a contractor that manages online customer inquiries. (News On Japan)

Osaka Metropolitan University has suspended classes across all faculties after a suspected ransomware attack shut down about 500 servers and disabled key campus systems, while officials investigate whether personal information relating to at least 130,000 students, graduates and employees was leaked. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has delivered her second policy speech since taking office, placing economic growth and investment at the center of her agenda as her government enters a critical period dominated by plans to cut the consumption tax on food, controversy surrounding Agriculture Minister Yanagi, and a packed diplomatic schedule in November. (News On Japan)

A 36-year-old Tokyo bar owner was arrested on October 5 on suspicion of abandoning the body of his 25-year-old girlfriend in a mountainous area of Miyagi Prefecture, with police also investigating whether he was involved in her death. (News On Japan)

Japan began requiring property owners to declare their nationality when applying for real estate registration on October 5, including when registering the purchase of condominiums and other properties, as the government seeks a clearer picture of foreign ownership of land and buildings. (News On Japan)

太陽光や風力といった再生可能エネルギー技術の成熟と発電コストの低下に伴い、新エネルギーは従来の単なるエネルギー供給源から、長期的な運用価値とキャッシュフロー創出のポテンシャルを秘めたインフラ資産へと変貌を遂げつつあります。 (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks surged on October 5, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 69,947, up 1,637 points, after briefly recovering the 70,000 level for the first time in about three months, as weak U.S. jobs data reduced expectations for an October Federal Reserve rate hike and buying spread through artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares. (News On Japan)

Japanese markets open the week of October 5 with investors focused on Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s policy speech, the Bank of Japan’s next rate signal, the yen’s weakness, elevated bond yields and whether the artificial intelligence-led rally in Tokyo stocks can broaden beyond a handful of semiconductor names. (News On Japan)

Graduates of Japan's colleges of technology, commonly known as Kosen, are attracting growing attention from employers, with the ratio of job openings to applicants exceeding 35 as companies increasingly seek graduates who can contribute immediately to the workforce, including major banks and securities firms. (News On Japan)

Around 38,000 dolls, including traditional Japanese dolls and stuffed animals, were brought to Meiji Shrine in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward for the annual Doll Appreciation Festival, where visitors bid farewell to old and damaged dolls in a ceremony expressing gratitude for the years they had been cherished. (News On Japan)

Japan brought the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to a close on October 4 with a record 83 gold medals and 269 medals overall, finishing second behind China after 16 days of competition that produced historic victories in swimming, athletics, judo, wrestling, softball and other sports, while a closing ceremony in Nagoya marked the end of the first Asian Games held in Japan in 32 years. (News On Japan)

Japan's Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko attended the Asian Games individual show jumping competition at the Equestrian Park in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward on October 3, with the princess showing particular interest in how horses manage to clear high obstacles. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has strongly condemned the arrest of a U.S. Marine on suspicion of robbery and murder at a hotel in Naha, Okinawa, describing the crime as "extremely brutal and vicious," while Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass to lodge a formal protest and demand measures to prevent similar incidents. (News On Japan)

Police are investigating a possible case of arson after a fire broke out in the parking lot of a closed restaurant in Daito, Osaka Prefecture, early on October 3, damaging approximately 460 square meters of the property, which has become a popular gathering place for young people after being featured online as a haunted location. (News On Japan)

Eleven men were injured when a traditional danjiri festival float overturned while attempting to make a sharp left turn at an intersection in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on the evening of October 3, with all victims conscious when transported to hospitals and none suffering life-threatening injuries. (News On Japan)

Nearly one year after the Osaka-Kansai Expo closed, the former exhibition grounds were opened to the media on October 2, revealing that around 90% of the pavilions and other facilities have been demolished, while the Forest of Tranquility remains a peaceful green space at the center of the site. (News On Japan)

A 35-year-old man has been rearrested on suspicion of persuading a high school girl to expose herself during a video call on social media and recording the footage, in a case that has revealed the growing dangers of "non-meeting sugar dating," in which adults offer money to minors in exchange for sexual images and videos without ever meeting them in person. (News On Japan)