Japan will unify liquor tax rates on beer, happoshu and other beer-like beverages from October 1, lowering the tax on regular beer while raising it on cheaper alternatives in a reform expected to reshape prices and competition across the domestic beer market. (News On Japan)

Performers at Universal Studios Japan are raising concerns about demanding working conditions behind the Osaka theme park's colorful shows and character appearances, with some describing the work as an example of employers taking advantage of workers' enthusiasm for jobs they once dreamed of doing. (News On Japan)

A popular temple in Fukuoka Prefecture has introduced a 500 yen admission fee for foreign tourists while allowing Japanese residents and foreigners living in Japan to enter free, a measure aimed at reducing disruptive behavior and helping protect the religious site. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi moved on September 28 to strengthen Japan’s intelligence functions as her government prepared for an extraordinary Diet session that is expected to test its ability to pass tax relief, defend its economic policy and manage rising security pressure from China. (News On Japan)

Rain fell again in central Tokyo on September 28, extending the capital's unusually long wet spell to 33 consecutive days and matching the longest run on record, while persistent rainfall is beginning to disrupt autumn tourism, fall foliage and the harvest of seasonal crops. (News On Japan)

A deputy priest at Myoenji temple in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, caught a man red-handed shortly after midnight on September 27 after surveillance footage showed the same person repeatedly appearing at the temple at around the same time each day. (News On Japan)

Ryuji Miura led a Japanese one-two finish in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase on September 28, winning gold in a Games record of 8 minutes, 17.36 seconds as Ryoma Aoki surged late to take silver in 8:17.60 at Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya. (News On Japan)

Beaujolais Nouveau, France's newly produced wine traditionally associated with autumn, arrived in Japan on September 28 about a month earlier than usual after a record-breaking heatwave accelerated this year's grape harvest. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks fell on September 28, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 65,878, down 486.58 points, as an early rally above 67,000 faded into profit-taking despite dividend-related buying and continued support for banks and insurers. (News On Japan)

A woman believed to be in her 20s has been found dead at an apartment building struck by a landslide in Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, following heavy rain brought by Typhoon No. 25, raising the death toll across the Kanto region to 13. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is entering the autumn political season under growing pressure to show that her government can manage relations with Washington and Beijing while keeping Japan’s economic policy on a credible path after the Bank of Japan’s latest rate hike. (News On Japan)

Japan's Asian Games campaign continued on September 27 with silver medals in men's table tennis doubles and artistic swimming, while the men's baseball team faced South Korea in the gold-medal final and the athletics program entered one of its busiest evenings. (News On Japan)

Giant whirlpools measuring more than 15 meters in diameter have appeared in the Naruto Strait in Tokushima Prefecture, drawing crowds of tourists as the autumn spring tide season brings some of the year's most spectacular tidal displays. (News On Japan)

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)