A new 220-meter suspension bridge has opened at Biwako Valley in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, offering visitors a thrilling walk high above the mountains with panoramic views of Lake Biwa. (News On Japan)

Pawn shops in Japan are seeing growing demand as rising living costs push more people to borrow against their valuables, with customers pledging everything from family jewelry to luxury watches and gold coins to cover everyday expenses, medical bills and business costs. (News On Japan)

Japan's wild population of Oriental storks has exceeded 700 birds following decades of conservation efforts, with successful breeding across the country putting the population on track to surpass 1,000 within two years. (News On Japan)

A 76-year-old man was arrested on September 27 on suspicion of arson after a fire destroyed approximately 560 square meters of a wooden apartment building in Osaka's Higashiyodogawa Ward, prompting the dispatch of 52 fire engines and taking around nine hours to extinguish. (News On Japan)

Elementary school students from across the Kansai region gathered in Osaka to share creative ideas for building a sustainable city, with proposals ranging from replacing waste incinerators with mushroom-growing facilities to preserving Osaka's distinctive local shopping culture. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks head into September 28 with the Nikkei 225 sitting at 66,364 after a five-session winning streak, as investors weigh strong artificial intelligence and semiconductor momentum against dividend-related trading, a weak yen, high bond yields and lingering uncertainty over the Bank of Japan’s next move. (News On Japan)

A levee collapse at Lake Inbanuma in Chiba Prefecture following heavy rain from Typhoon No. 25 has devastated a koi breeding facility in Narita, leaving nearly 100,000 fish lost and causing an estimated 1 billion yen in damage to livestock and equipment. (News On Japan)

A 25-year-old father has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly throwing his two young daughters from the sixth-floor balcony of an apartment building in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, in the early hours of September 26, with police investigating whether a dispute between the suspect and his wife was behind the incident. (News On Japan)

Yokozuna Onosato captured his sixth career championship at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on September 27, defeating Ukrainian ozeki Aonishiki in a winner-takes-all showdown at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan to finish the 15-day competition with 12 wins and three losses, ending a year-long title drought after a dramatic final weekend. (News On Japan)

A fire broke out at the observation deck of Chubu Electric Power MIRAI TOWER in central Nagoya on Saturday, prompting 30 visitors to evacuate, although no injuries were reported. (News On Japan)

The 20th Asian Games will take place from September 19 to October 4 in Nagoya, Japan. The extensive competition program will feature many popular sports, ranging from athletics and football to cricket and martial arts. (News On Japan)

Which showdowns on the upcoming matchday of Europe's premier tournament should fans in Asia consider watching? Learn more about them in this 1xBet review. (News On Japan)

Japan's teenage skateboarders delivered two gold medals and two bronze medals on September 25, with 15-year-olds Mizuho Hasegawa and Ian Nagahara winning the women's and men's park competitions at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. (News On Japan)

Japan's benchmark long-term interest rate climbed to 3.115% during trading, reaching its highest level in nearly 30 years for the second consecutive day as persistent inflation concerns and expectations of further interest rate hikes fueled selling in government bonds. (News On Japan)

Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, attended the opening ceremony of the World Congress of Medical Laboratory Science in Chiba, where she expressed condolences to victims of recent natural disasters and called for a swift recovery in affected areas. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks rose strongly on September 25, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 66,364, up 850 points, as buying in semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related shares combined with demand for dividend-paying financial stocks ahead of the September 28 interim dividend deadline. (News On Japan)

A major traffic accident involving 10 vehicles, including trucks and passenger cars, left one man seriously injured and nine others with minor injuries on the Daini Shinmei Road in Kobe on September 24, forcing the closure of part of the expressway. (News On Japan)

SoftBank Group announced on September 24 that it will issue approximately 1.76 trillion yen worth of foreign currency-denominated bonds, the largest simultaneous bond offering in its history, to finance a further $10 billion investment in OpenAI as founder Masayoshi Son accelerates his strategy of building a global business spanning artificial intelligence, semiconductors and data centers. (News On Japan)

Parents in Japan are increasingly taking an active role in finding marriage partners for their adult children, with matchmaking events that allow mothers and fathers to meet prospective in-laws gaining popularity as the country's unmarried population continues to grow. (News On Japan)

Police in Tokyo's Shibuya district are dealing with a steady stream of thefts, drunken altercations and late-night accidents, including a 17-year-old boy who stole a sleeping man's bag on a whim, a dispute outside a karaoke bar and an injured man who lost his memory after a night of drinking. (News On Japan)