Mountains of discarded tires and other waste have accumulated in residential neighborhoods in Tatebayashi, Gunma Prefecture, for more than a decade, prompting authorities to issue cleanup orders after detecting fluoride concentrations up to three times the permitted level, with the prefectural government setting aside 964 million yen for their removal. (News On Japan)

Kyoto's popular Sagano Romantic Train is attracting large numbers of foreign tourists for its final autumn season, with the familiar red-and-black carriages set to retire at the end of 2026 after carrying a cumulative 30 million passengers, making way for new trains scheduled to enter service in 2027. (News On Japan)

Tokyo's historic Sensoji Temple in Taito Ward was transformed into a dazzling nighttime spectacle on October 30th as a projection mapping event began, bringing 1,400 years of history and culture to life across the temple's main hall and Hozomon Gate. (News On Japan)

Japan marked the 80th anniversary of the promulgation of its Constitution on November 3rd, with demonstrators gathering outside the National Diet to defend its pacifist principles as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pushes for constitutional revision and an early parliamentary proposal. (News On Japan)

Emperor Naruhito presented the Order of Culture to seven recipients at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on November 3rd, Japan's Culture Day, honoring their outstanding achievements and contributions to the country's cultural development. (News On Japan)

A new rest facility featuring the first cafe inside the Imperial Palace opened in Tokyo's East Gardens on November 3, offering visitors a rooftop terrace with panoramic views, exhibits on the Imperial Family, and exclusive souvenirs. (News On Japan)

Shrines and temples across Kyoto are offering visitors rare access to normally restricted sacred areas and valuable cultural treasures, including historic documents connected to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the powerful 16th-century warlord who helped unify Japan. (News On Japan)

Kyoto City announced plans on November 2nd to introduce tougher regulations on private lodging facilities, including a requirement for staff to be stationed permanently inside the properties or in nearby buildings, as complaints from residents continue to rise over noise and disruptive tourist behavior. (News On Japan)

A medium-sized truck carrying an excavator overturned and crashed into a used car dealership showroom in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on November 2, apparently after the construction equipment struck a pedestrian overpass and caused the vehicle to lose its balance, police said, adding that no injuries were reported. (News On Japan)

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi held rare bilateral talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 30 and 31, raising questions about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin could return to major international summits and how Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi would respond to a possible encounter with the Russian leader. (News On Japan)

Scientists at Toyo University have identified a possible weakness in alligator weed, an invasive aquatic plant described as one of the world's worst, raising hopes of finding a way to control its extraordinary ability to regenerate as it spreads through Japan's waterways, threatens agricultural land, and creates growing concerns about flooding. (News On Japan)

The Bank of Japan has declared that Japan's underlying inflation rate has reached its long-standing 2% target, marking a milestone in its effort to overcome decades of deflation, even as consumers continue to struggle with food prices rising far faster than the central bank's benchmark. (News On Japan)

The Museum of the Imperial Collections at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo will reopen on November 3 following a major renovation that has expanded its interior space eightfold, with a series of special exhibitions featuring artworks associated with Japan's Imperial Family, including folding screens depicting scenes from The Tale of Genji and a celebrated painting by Ito Jakuchu. (News On Japan)

Tokyo's Shibuya Ward issued 394 fines of 2,000 yen each for littering and street smoking during Halloween celebrations on October 31, while neighboring Shinjuku Ward recorded 498 cases of street drinking and smoking despite efforts to discourage disruptive behavior. (News On Japan)

Spanish authorities have confirmed that a Japanese national was among the 69 people killed in a collision between two high-speed trains in central Spain on October 28, while Japanese officials are continuing efforts to establish the identities of victims following the disaster, which also left about 200 people injured. (News On Japan)

GMO Internet Group President Masatoshi Kumagai apologized at his first press conference following a cyberattack on the company's investor-oriented cloud service, acknowledging that security vulnerabilities had been identified by specialists within the group two years earlier but that the warnings had not been adequately addressed. (News On Japan)

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell 208.25 points, or 0.33%, to close at 63,081.86 at 3:30 p.m. on November 2, extending its losses for a second consecutive trading session as a sharp decline in memory chipmaker Kioxia Holdings and continued uncertainty over US technology stocks outweighed gains in semiconductor equipment manufacturers. (News On Japan)

With more Indian professionals, students and families establishing lives in Japan, maintaining connections with relatives back home has become an important part of everyday life. Despite advances in digital communication, distance, language and cultural differences continue to shape their experiences. (News On Japan)

As of 3 a.m. on November 6, Typhoon No. 31 (In-fa) was moving northeast across the Pacific Ocean east of Japan at 75 kilometers per hour and was expected to become an extratropical cyclone by Friday afternoon, although dangerous swells and high waves could continue along Japan's Pacific coast throughout the day. (News On Japan)

A 79-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, on October 31 after allegedly driving approximately 2.2 kilometers with a 56-year-old man clinging to the hood of her car following a dispute in a condominium parking lot. (News On Japan)