Kyoto Sangyo University has suspended access to its athletics grounds after a report of an animal resembling a bear was made near the facility in Kyoto City. (News On Japan)

A company employee was arrested on November 3rd in Kashiwara City, Osaka Prefecture, after allegedly setting fire to his car on the Nishi-Meihan Expressway, where police later discovered the burned body of a man believed to have been in his 50s or 60s, prompting investigators to consider the possibility of murder in addition to arson. (News On Japan)

A group of eight individuals, including Chinese national and company executive Yang Xiaodong, has been arrested on suspicion of selling gold bars with counterfeit stamps from a major precious metals company and passing them off as genuine, generating what investigators believe was roughly 9.5 billion yen in sales. (News On Japan)

Saitama, which drew attention after placing last in the latest prefectural attractiveness rankings, is in fact home to an unexpectedly large number of people dedicated to promoting the prefecture — so many that residents often joke about it. (News On Japan)

Japan aims to achieve carbon neutrality by reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050, and in this context, municipalities and companies across the country are accelerating the use of green hydrogen, which is increasingly viewed as the key to realizing a decarbonized society. (News On Japan)

Nissan Motor announced on November 14th that it plans to double the number of its showrooms inside shopping malls to more than 30 locations from fiscal 2027 onward. The move will expand its presence in the growing category of “experience-based stores,” a format increasingly adopted in the apparel industry and other sectors. (News On Japan)

Japan Airlines (JAL) has introduced a new policy starting November 13th allowing its cabin crew and ground staff who serve customers at airports to wear sneakers during work hours. (News On Japan)

The ski season has officially begun in western Japan, with Grand Snow Okuibuki in Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture, becoming the first resort in the region to open on November 14th. (News On Japan)

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel advisory on November 14th, urging Chinese citizens to avoid visiting Japan for the time being, citing “serious safety risks” to Chinese nationals following Prime Minister Takaichi’s remarks on a potential Taiwan contingency. (News On Japan)

An aurora colored the night sky red over Hokkaido on November 12th, offering a rare sight for residents and visitors. Footage from Kushiro Town captured the sky gradually glowing red as waves of light curved and streamed across the horizon, painting a vivid display. (News On Japan)

A senior Tokyo Metropolitan Police officer has been arrested on suspicion of leaking confidential investigation data to members of a decentralized criminal network known as “Tokuryu.” (News On Japan)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested four men, including 41-year-old Daisuke Takehara, on suspicion of confining a man they did not know inside a car in Shibuya Ward. The suspects, including three Uzbek nationals, allegedly deceived the victim and then threatened him for money. (News On Japan)

Tokyo Metropolitan Government issued an influenza epidemic warning on November 13th after the number of reported cases reached the alert threshold, marking the first such announcement in November in 16 years. (News On Japan)

Police bear control units were formally deployed on November 13th in Iwate and Akita prefectures, where the number of bear attacks has become increasingly severe, following the recent authorization for officers to use rifles in bear extermination. (News On Japan)

A 54-year-old man has been arrested after throwing a traffic cone and a metal sign onto railway tracks near JR Oimachi Station in Tokyo, disrupting train services twice during the morning commute in September 2025. (News On Japan)

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) policy committee has drafted a resolution calling on the government to raise the “departure tax” to secure funds for overtourism countermeasures. The proposal seeks to increase the current 1,000 yen per-person levy to 3,000 yen, and to set the rate at 5,000 yen for travelers using business class or higher. (News On Japan)

Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on November 11th that it has decided to impose an indefinite entry ban on 30 Japanese nationals as a countermeasure against what it called Japan’s “hostile policies” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (News On Japan)

Japanese automakers are under increasing pressure as China’s aggressive push in electric vehicles continues and the impact of U.S. tariffs under former President Donald Trump looms large. With total tariff-related losses for seven major manufacturers projected to reach 1.5 trillion yen, analysts are examining how Japanese companies plan to stay competitive. (News On Japan)

Actress Ryoko Hirosue is expected to be referred to prosecutors on November 13th on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in injury, after her car collided with a trailer on the Shin-Tomei Expressway in Shizuoka Prefecture in April. (News On Japan)

A recent survey has revealed that many students who do not attend school and their parents are unaware of Japan’s "online attendance" system, which allows remote learning to count as official attendance. (News On Japan)