Japanese automakers are under increasing pressure as China’s aggressive push in electric vehicles continues and the impact of U.S. tariffs under former President Donald Trump looms large. With total tariff-related losses for seven major manufacturers projected to reach 1.5 trillion yen, analysts are examining how Japanese companies plan to stay competitive. (News On Japan)

SoftBank Group has reported a record-breaking net profit for the April–September period, marking the highest half-year earnings ever achieved by a Japanese company. (News On Japan)

Osaka Metro announced that its interim financial results reached a record high, driven by an increase in ridership linked to the Osaka-Kansai Expo. (News On Japan)

JR East announced on November 11th that it will retire the beloved Suica penguin mascot at the end of fiscal 2026, marking the 25th anniversary of the Suica transportation IC card service, and will introduce a new character from fiscal 2027. (News On Japan)

The Mekari Shrine near the Kanmon Strait, connecting Honshu and Kyushu, has overcome a financial crisis through an unconventional initiative: a marine ash scattering business. Drawing on local customs, the shrine began offering plans starting from 70,000 yen, allowing families to have ashes scattered at sea in a ceremony managed by the shrine itself. (News On Japan)

The Nikkei Average has surged past 50,000, yet many individual investors say their portfolios have barely moved, underscoring how narrowly led the rally has become as the NT ratio—Nikkei divided by TOPIX—climbs to a record, reflecting outsized strength in a handful of high-priced technology names while a broad swath of stocks lags behind, and even within the Nikkei 225 the gap between the strongest and weakest deciles over the past six months has widened to extreme levels, pushing the headline index higher while leaving many constituents flat. (News On Japan)

The outlook for rice prices over the next three months has declined sharply amid expectations that an increase in new rice harvests will ease supply and demand pressures. (News On Japan)

The Niseko area at the foot of Mount Yotei, about a two-hour drive from Sapporo, is now in the spotlight once again as one of Japan’s top resort destinations prepares for the peak ski season. Fueled by surging inbound demand, construction of hotels and leisure facilities is rapidly expanding across the region—but local residents are increasingly alarmed by the rise in illegal land development and unauthorized building extensions. (News On Japan)

Around 1,200 investors have filed a class-action lawsuit with the Osaka District Court seeking the return of more than 11.4 billion yen from the real estate fund “Minna de Ooya-san,” which has been delaying distribution payments to its investors. (News On Japan)

Gasoline prices rose for the first time in four weeks to 173.60 yen per liter as of 2 p.m. on November 6th, up just 0.10 yen from the previous week. However, with the government’s decision on November 5th to abolish the provisional gasoline tax by the end of the year, prices are expected to fall in stages before the abolition takes full effect. (News On Japan)

Real wages in Japan fell 1.4% in September from a year earlier, marking the ninth consecutive month of decline, as rising prices continued to outpace wage increases, according to data released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. (News On Japan)

Nissan Motor announced on November 6th that it will sell its Yokohama headquarters building for 97 billion yen as part of a broader restructuring plan, while continuing to occupy the property under a lease agreement. (News On Japan)

The economic policy bannered by Prime Minister Takaichi as “Sanaenomics” is beginning to take shape, with expectations centering on lower gasoline prices and the restart of electricity and gas subsidies even as critics say the program’s substance remains unclear and insufficiently developed. (News On Japan)

Nintendo has raised its forecast for the upcoming fiscal year ending in March 2026, projecting revenue to exceed 2 trillion yen for the first time. (News On Japan)

Japan’s space industry is gaining new momentum under Prime Minister Takaichi’s vision of building a “strong economy,” with the sector identified as a key target for strategic investment alongside AI and energy security. (News On Japan)

Farmers across western Japan are facing mounting losses from the growing population of nutria, large semi-aquatic rodents originally brought from South America. Once imported for their fur, the animals have become a major agricultural pest, chewing through crops and spreading rapidly into urban areas. (News On Japan)

An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed at a poultry farm in Eniwa City, Hokkaido, prompting authorities to begin culling operations on Sunday afternoon. (News On Japan)

Condominium prices show little sign of cooling as even secondhand units in central Tokyo are routinely listed above 100 million yen, with a recent survey indicating the average price of new condominiums launched in the 23 wards in the first half of this fiscal year reached about 133.09 million yen and resale units have exceeded 100 million yen for five consecutive months, underscoring a market in which construction and labor costs have jumped, demand has spilled over into used stock, and buyers are being urged to scrutinize properties more carefully. (News On Japan)

The Nikkei Stock Average closed at a record high of 52,411 yen on October 31st, up 1,085 yen from the previous day, marking the first time in history it has ended above the 52,000-yen level. This is the third consecutive day the index has reached a new all-time closing high. (News On Japan)

In a quiet neighborhood of Osaka stands a four-story building with around 40 rooms. Yet more than 100 companies are registered there, despite the absence of any visible workers. (News On Japan)