Around 500 blazing torches lit up the night sky on October 22nd as Kyoto’s famed Kurama Fire Festival, one of the city’s three most extraordinary festivals, took place around Yuki Shrine in Sakyo Ward. (News On Japan)

Teachers from across Japan are gathering in Nagoya to compete in a national contest that tests and refines their classroom teaching skills. The event, called the "National Mock Lesson Championship in Nagoya," is organized by the Noda Juku preparatory school to help both cram school instructors and school teachers improve their teaching techniques. (News On Japan)

A group in Sapporo achieved a Guinness World Record on October 25th for creating the world’s largest sentence made entirely from plastic bottle caps. The artwork, composed of around 80,000 caps, was officially recognized under the category “Largest Sentence Made from Bottle Caps.” (News On Japan)

Defense Minister Koizumi inspected Self-Defense Force bases and expressed his intention to boost defense equipment exports through stronger top-level sales efforts. (News On Japan)

A 38-year-old man was arrested near the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo’s Minato Ward on October 24th after attacking a riot police officer with a knife, injuring the officer’s right leg. (News On Japan)

Japan’s H3 Rocket No. 7, carrying a newly developed unmanned cargo spacecraft, successfully launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at 9 a.m. on October 26th, marking another milestone for the nation’s space program. (News On Japan)

Finding the right cannabis dispensary shouldn’t feel like hunting for buried treasure, but too often, it does. (News On Japan)

A subsidiary of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), a leading chipmaker, signed a location agreement with Kikuyo Town in Kumamoto Prefecture on October 24th for the construction of its second factory in Japan. (News On Japan)

Fonts are an invisible part of daily life, yet they profoundly shape how we perceive information and emotion. From the elegant Mincho to the bold Gothic, these designs are chosen according to purpose—whether to convey clarity, trust, or impact—and their influence extends beyond readability into branding and communication. (News On Japan)

A 47-year-old man accused of possessing cannabis in Nagoya has been acquitted after the Nagoya High Court ruled that the procedures used to seize the evidence were illegal. The decision, handed down on October 9th, became final after prosecutors decided not to appeal. (News On Japan)

As anticipation builds for the Japan Mobility Show 2025, set to open at Tokyo Big Sight from October 30th to November 9th, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda has announced a sweeping reorganization of the automaker’s brand strategy. The company will redefine its group structure, including Daihatsu, into five distinct brands, with its flagship luxury car, the Century, becoming a fully independent marque. (News On Japan)

A Tokyo District Court has ruled that addressing a colleague using the 'chan' suffix constitutes sexual harassment, ordering a male employee to pay 220,000 yen in damages. (News On Japan)

A 38-year-old man was killed on October 24th in the village of Higashinaruse, Akita Prefecture, after attempting to rescue a couple in their seventies who were being attacked by a bear. (News On Japan)

Osaka City has decided to stop accepting new applications for “special zone minpaku” lodging facilities at the end of May 2026 following a sharp rise in neighborhood disputes over noise and garbage disposal. (News On Japan)

After having travelled to Japan's most famous tropical locations (Okinawa, Amami, Miyakojima etc), I wasn't expected Niijima to hold a candle to them, but I was wrong! I can't believe that the best beaches in the country are in Tokyo... (Currently Hannah)

At around 1:45 p.m. on October 21, Sanae Takaichi won a majority of 237 votes in a key vote in the House of Representatives (more than the 233 votes required for half), and was successfully elected as Prime Minister, becoming the first female Prime Minister in Japanese history. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Takaichi made her de facto diplomatic debut by joining an online summit of a coalition supporting Ukraine, where she expressed Japan’s commitment to continue providing assistance. (News On Japan)

A memorial service marking 80 years since the end of World War II was held in Shari, a town in Hokkaido’s Shiretoko region, on October 22nd to honor those who perished in the Northern Territories and other areas. (News On Japan)

Geothermal energy is drawing growing global attention as a key to combating global warming and achieving a decarbonized society. Among clean energy sources, it stands out for its stability and scalability. Japan, blessed with abundant volcanic activity, possesses the world’s third-largest geothermal reserves—yet its utilization remains limited. (News On Japan)

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) issued a statement on October 23rd warning that tensions between China and the Netherlands over semiconductor firms are having a serious impact on global automobile production. (News On Japan)