Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted the annual autumn garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo on October 29, welcoming approximately 1,400 guests, including actor Kotaro Yoshida and novelist Miyuki Miyabe, while female members of the Imperial Family attended in traditional Japanese attire. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks extended their recovery on Thursday, October 29, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 64,659.47 points at 3:30 p.m., up 705.28 points, or 1.10%, from the previous session, as renewed buying of semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related shares helped the benchmark record its third consecutive daily gain ahead of the Bank of Japan's monetary policy decision. (News On Japan)

Hands Shibuya, one of Tokyo's best-known variety stores, will close on November 15 after 48 years in business, bringing an end to a shopping destination famous for its enormous selection of innovative household goods, stationery and unusual gadgets, with around 100,000 products still filling its shelves in the final weeks before closure. (News On Japan)

Japan's first significant snowfall of the season has brought winter conditions to Hokkaido and northern Honshu, with snow depths exceeding 10 centimeters in several mountain and inland locations on October 28, while a fresh wave of cold air is expected to bring further snowfall over the weekend of October 31 and November 1. (News On Japan)

France has seen days of protests in Paris over the rising cost of living and declining access to public services, including state education. Some demonstrations have been marred by violence and looting. (News On Japan)

Osaka's iconic Tsutenkaku Tower celebrated the 70th anniversary of its reopening on October 28, marking seven decades since the landmark was rebuilt in 1956 as a symbol of the city's postwar recovery, while new attractions continue to draw visitors to the surrounding Shinsekai entertainment district. (News On Japan)

A married couple in Aira, Kagoshima Prefecture, have been arrested after police discovered cannabis plants growing in pots on the terrace of their home during a search connected to a separate investigation, authorities said on October 28th. (News On Japan)

A woman in her 80s was killed after her car entered railway tracks on the Odakyu Enoshima Line in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, shortly before 10:30 p.m. on October 27, with security camera footage showing the vehicle traveling along the tracks, passing an oncoming train and stopping with its hazard lights flashing before being struck from behind by another train. (News On Japan)

A 59-year-old water sports rental shop owner in Omachi, Nagano Prefecture, has received a letter of appreciation from police after rescuing a paraglider who plunged into a lake on September 21, pulling the unconscious man from the water and performing CPR after discovering he was no longer breathing. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on October 28 that Japan and Germany had agreed to establish a new high-level dialogue framework on artificial intelligence following talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Tokyo, marking a step toward closer cooperation between the two countries in emerging technologies. (News On Japan)

Japanese stocks extended their recovery on October 28, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 63,954.19 at 3:30 p.m. Tokyo time, up 685.82 points, or 1.08%, from the previous session, as strong demand for artificial intelligence-related semiconductor shares lifted the benchmark for a second consecutive day, even as the broader market weakened ahead of major interest rate decisions in Japan and the United States. (News On Japan)

Japan's children are increasingly turning away from books, with a nationwide survey finding that more than 70% spend less than an hour reading each week and nearly one in five do not read at all, raising concerns about literacy and learning as schools and families search for ways to rebuild reading habits. (News On Japan)

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck northeastern Chiba Prefecture at around 12:07 a.m. on October 29, registering a maximum intensity of 5-lower on Japan's seven-level seismic scale and sending tremors across a wide area of eastern and central Japan, including Narita Airport, where footage captured the moment of shaking. (News On Japan)

Japan's first major cold spell of the season brought snow, freezing winds and record-low autumn temperatures across the country, with 639 observation points registering their coldest readings of the season on October 29, while forecasts issued that evening indicated that temperatures would recover on October 30 as rain spread across much of the country. (News On Japan)

Japan will introduce a major overhaul of its tax-free shopping system for foreign visitors on November 1, replacing immediate tax exemptions at stores with a refund system that requires travelers to pay the full consumption tax upfront and claim reimbursement when leaving the country, a change expected to reshape retail strategies and purchasing behavior across the tourism industry. (News On Japan)

Japan has confirmed that a Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper reporter detained in Russia since October 13 is in good health following his first consular visit, with the government reiterating its demand for his immediate release. (News On Japan)

Japan has begun replenishing its national oil reserves following the release of approximately 90 million barrels in response to worsening tensions in the Middle East, with trading house Mitsui & Co. winning the first procurement contract for 2 million barrels of crude oil from the United Arab Emirates, expected to arrive in November. (News On Japan)

A company in Kagoshima has developed a new garbage collection station that uses specially shaped wires and rollers instead of conventional nets to prevent crows from scattering household waste, offering a cleaner and more convenient solution to a persistent problem in Japan's urban neighborhoods. (News On Japan)

A teenage male was rushed to a hospital after suffering an electric shock while putting away a motorized basketball hoop at a gymnasium in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, in an accident believed to have been caused by an incompatible extension cord, according to a report on October 27th. (News On Japan)

GMO has announced a reward totaling approximately 150 million yen for information leading to the identification of hackers responsible for a cyberattack on its systems, while also pledging compensation to customers whose personal information has been exposed, as Japan faces a growing wave of cyberattacks targeting major companies. (News On Japan)