A string of so-called “honey trap” cases is drawing attention across Japan as schemes once limited to extortion have become increasingly violent, involving physical assaults and life-threatening intimidation. (News On Japan)

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda indicated that the pace of Japan’s economic growth is expected to temporarily slow due to the effects of tariffs, while predicting that growth will pick up again as overseas economies recover. Speaking in Osaka on October 4th at a meeting with the Kansai business community, Ueda stressed that monetary policy would be guided by overall economic and price conditions. (News On Japan)

Sakai City will begin operating sightseeing hot-air balloons on October 4th, offering aerial views of the Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The balloons will take off and land at Daisen Park, with a maximum capacity of 30 passengers. (News On Japan)

Tokiwair, a Niigata-based airline, is planning to produce lightweight sport aircraft (LSA), a category of small propeller planes, in collaboration with factories in the Tsubame-Sanjo area of Niigata Prefecture. (News On Japan)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation has reduced 206 Toei bus services in its October timetable revision, underscoring how the nationwide shortage of drivers is now taking a serious toll on the capital’s public transport. (News On Japan)

At the World Heritage-listed Shosoin in Nara, the annual ‘Opening Ceremony’ was held, during which the doors of the treasure house were unsealed. (News On Japan)

Right now in big cities in Japan, there are more and more protests by Japanese people against the government's immigration policies. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

Arashiyama has launched a new night event called Moonlit Path on October 1st to tackle overtourism by shifting visitor traffic into the evening and channeling proceeds back into the local community. The illuminated walk runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. through October 31st, lighting up Nagatsuji Street and the famed Bamboo Grove, with a paid zone featuring bamboo-themed light installations. (News On Japan)

Police have revealed that a woman killed by her former partner in Higashi-Osaka had sustained dozens of stab wounds across her body, including injuries that pierced internal organs. (News On Japan)

Former US President Donald Trump is arranging a three-day visit to Japan starting on October 27th, marking his first trip to the country in six years. (News On Japan)

Vast hillsides have been cleared for the construction of a large-scale solar power facility in Kamogawa, Chiba Prefecture, leaving piles of felled trees scattered across the slopes. The development covers approximately 146 hectares, or the size of 32 Tokyo Domes, and involves cutting down about 365,000 trees to make way for 470,000 solar panels. (News On Japan)

Japan has entered the autumn travel season, with visitors across the country enjoying colorful foliage, seasonal foods, and cultural traditions. (News On Japan)

Kings and Generals animated historical documentary series on the early modern era and history of Japan. (Kings and Generals)

Around 60 percent of hospitals across Japan are operating in the red, creating a critical situation where closures and bankruptcies are no longer a distant threat. Behind the figures lies a deepening financial crisis that is raising questions about whether patients can continue to rely on stable access to medical care. (News On Japan)

A man in his 60s was found bleeding and collapsed inside a cattle barn in Tsugaru, Aomori Prefecture on the morning of October 2nd, later dying after his condition suddenly worsened. (News On Japan)

The iconic New Year’s Eve bell at Chion-in Temple in Kyoto will shift to a fully paid and reservation-only system this year, with entry limited to 2,000 people, in response to overwhelming crowds in recent years. (News On Japan)

Princess Aiko, the daughter of the Emperor and Empress, has tested positive for Covid-19, the Imperial Household Agency announced on October 2nd, cancelling her scheduled trip to Shiga Prefecture on October 5th and 6th to observe the National Sports Festival. (News On Japan)

A system failure caused by a cyberattack at beverage giant Asahi Group shows no sign of resolution, disrupting deliveries and leaving some supermarket shelves empty. (News On Japan)

Maebashi Mayor Akira Ogawa held a closed-door meeting with all city council members on October 2nd to explain her repeated hotel meetings with a married senior city official, but afterward she avoided stating whether she would resign. (News On Japan)

A massive tornado-like phenomenon was observed late in the morning of October 2nd off the coast of Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture’s Shonai region, with thick swirling clouds rising high into the sky as seawater was drawn upward. (News On Japan)