Tokyo police are investigating the possibility of a serial arson spree after six suspicious fires were reported within about two weeks in the same neighborhood of Adachi Ward, leaving an 81-year-old woman with burns and damaging homes, political party posters, a vending machine and a bicycle. (News On Japan)

The 20th FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup will be held in Berlin from September 4 to 13, 2026. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks rebounded on September 4, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 65,020.94, up 806.46 points, or 1.26%, as buying returned to artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares after a Wall Street rally, while investors waited for U.S. jobs data and watched the yen, oil prices and Bank of Japan rate-hike expectations. (News On Japan)

An autonomous ride-hailing service developed by British company Wayve launched in London on September 3, with the AI-powered technology also scheduled to begin trial operations in Tokyo by the end of 2026. (News On Japan)

Household spending in Japan fell for an eighth consecutive month in July as consumers continued to economize on everyday purchases such as food and beverages while increasing spending on dining out, accommodation and in-game purchases. (News On Japan)

A late former professor at Asahikawa Medical University has won the Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine for scientifically examining the proper way to blow the nose, extending Japan's streak of Ig Nobel winners to 20 consecutive years. (News On Japan)

Osaka City plans to tighten regulations on private lodging businesses, or minpaku, by generally prohibiting new operations in wooden and steel-frame apartment buildings where residents already live, following repeated complaints over noise and garbage. (News On Japan)

Japan's rice market is facing a growing surplus as large volumes of last year's crop remain unsold just as another strong harvest begins reaching the market, forcing retailers to slash prices below cost and leaving farmers warning that losses could make it impossible to continue farming. (News On Japan)

Hikone Castle in Shiga Prefecture has been formally selected as Japan's candidate for nomination as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, advancing a campaign that has continued for more than 30 years and aims to secure inscription in the summer of 2028. (News On Japan)

Highway service areas around the Kanto region are becoming destinations in their own right, offering travelers everything from freshly harvested vegetables and popular regional restaurant dishes to baths, observation decks and family events during the busy summer vacation season. (News On Japan)

A disaster prevention experiment has shown how quickly a rain-soaked slope can collapse once visible cracks appear, highlighting the need for people in landslide-prone areas to evacuate before conditions become critical as the risk of disasters remains elevated through early next week. (News On Japan)

A Chinese man who received a suspended prison sentence and had his driver's license revoked after striking four elementary school students while driving drunk in 2025 admitted at his first trial on September 3 that he repeatedly drove without a license while still on probation. (News On Japan)

FamilyMart has unveiled a new hybrid checkout system that can operate as either a self-service or staffed register, aiming to reduce checkout-related work by about 20% as labor shortages affect roughly 30% of its franchise stores. (News On Japan)

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry raised subsidies for aviation fuel used on domestic flights from September 3, doubling the support rate while ending subsidies for international flights. (News On Japan)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said tax incentives on the Russian-held islands claimed by Japan have been successful, using a speech at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok to highlight economic development in Russia's Far East. (News On Japan)

Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on September 3 that the economic policy of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government should not be equated with conventional reflationary policy, after returning from the Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in the United States and briefing the prime minister on the talks. (News On Japan)

Five oil distributors, including Higashinihon Usami and ENEOS Wing, admitted charges of violating Japan's Antimonopoly Act by forming a cartel to coordinate diesel fuel prices at their first trial at the Tokyo District Court on September 3. (News On Japan)

Night trains are making a comeback across Japan, with railway operators introducing new overnight services and even experimenting with overnight Shinkansen trains as demand grows for alternatives that combine transportation, accommodation and the experience of traveling through the night. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks ended mixed on September 3, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 64,214.48, down 111.16 points, as uncertainty over interest rates and currencies kept pressure on risk assets, while the broader TOPIX rose 0.5% to 4,102.04. (News On Japan)

Bear sightings and attacks have been reported across Japan throughout the summer, with animals damaging sheds, attacking livestock and injuring people, while experts warn that autumn is the most dangerous season as bears expand their range in search of food. (News On Japan)