Officials in Nara are urging visitors to treat the city's famous deer with care and respect as tourist numbers rise and the autumn mating season approaches, when male deer can become particularly aggressive. (News On Japan)

The Japan Sumo Association announced the rankings for the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on August 31, with last tournament's champion Aonishiki returning to ozeki after two tournaments and taking the second position on the east side of the rankings. (News On Japan)

Osaka Metro began testing an artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robot at Umeda Station on August 31, using the machine to provide passengers with transfer directions and information on nearby tourist attractions as the railway operator explores ways to ease staffing shortages. (News On Japan)

Japan began producing a commemorative 1,000-yen silver coin marking 100 years since the start of the Showa era at the Japan Mint in Osaka on August 31, with a first-striking ceremony held to mark the start of production. (News On Japan)

Japan will lower the statutory speed limit on certain residential roads from 60 kilometers per hour to 30 km/h from September 1, with police in Hyogo Prefecture urging drivers to familiarize themselves with the new rules and drive more carefully in neighborhood areas. (News On Japan)

A new large ferry linking Maizuru in Kyoto Prefecture with Otaru in Hokkaido has been unveiled ahead of its first voyage on September 1, offering spacious passenger facilities and a journey time of about 21 hours. (News On Japan)

A fire broke out at a shopping arcade near Ise Jingu in Ise, Mie Prefecture, on the afternoon of August 31, sending red flames and thick black smoke into the air as firefighters continued battling the blaze with no immediate prospect of bringing it under control. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks ended mixed on August 31, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 66,311.93, down 93.63 points, or 0.14%, after briefly plunging more than 1,500 points in early trading, while the broader TOPIX rose 9.58 points, or 0.23%, to 4,156.29 for its eighth straight gain. (News On Japan)

About one in three unmarried young people in Japan say they have no intention of marrying, according to the first large-scale survey of young people conducted by the Children and Families Agency, with financial insecurity emerging as the biggest perceived obstacle to marriage. (News On Japan)

Japan's benchmark long-term interest rate briefly climbed to 2.95% on August 31, its highest level in about 30 years, as investors sold government bonds on expectations of further Bank of Japan rate increases, rising U.S. yields and concerns over the outlook for government spending. (News On Japan)

Japan's education ministry unveiled a draft of its new national curriculum guidelines on August 31, placing stronger information education for the AI era and greater flexibility in allocating classroom hours among the central pillars of the major overhaul carried out roughly once every decade. (News On Japan)

Japan's high school baseball national team began preparations for the U-18 Asian Baseball Championship with a training session in Yokohama on August 28, as the squad looks to capture the continental title at the tournament opening in Taiwan on September 7. (News On Japan)

From September 4 to 13, the German capital will become the epicenter of women’s basketball. (News On Japan)

Curry restaurant chain CoCo Ichibanya will introduce a late-night surcharge for the first time from September 1 and raise prices on a dozen toppings as higher ingredient, packaging and labor costs put pressure on operations. (News On Japan)

Eleven passengers were rescued from an attraction at Legoland Japan in Nagoya on August 30 after a door failed to open, leaving them trapped for about 30 minutes, with no injuries or reports of illness. (News On Japan)

New Chitose Airport is transforming into a destination for travelers and local visitors alike after passenger numbers reached a record 26 million in 2025, with new direct flights to North America, upgraded security facilities and a major anime-themed commercial area planned for summer 2027. (News On Japan)

Guests were evacuated from a restaurant at Tokyo Disneyland on August 30 after smoke emerged from a customer's bag, with police investigating a mobile battery inside the bag as the suspected source. (News On Japan)

Two typhoons east of Japan were moving northward on August 30, with Typhoon No. 23 (Banlan) overtaking Typhoon No. 22 (Artau), although neither storm is expected to have a direct impact on Japan. (News On Japan)

Japan is moving to strengthen its defenses against mass drone attacks after Terra Drone became the sole company to advance through a Defense Ministry program for a Japanese-made interceptor drone, drawing on battlefield technology and production methods developed in Ukraine while pushing for domestic production of critical components. (News On Japan)

Families and children tried their hand at cricket at an event in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, on August 29, designed to build interest in the sport ahead of its competition at the Asian Games. (News On Japan)