Japan's stock market is expected to open higher on Monday, November 9, after the Nikkei 225 plunged 9.25% last week to close at 57,434.77 on Friday, November 6, with a rebound in US technology shares and stronger overnight futures pointing to an initial recovery, although investors face another potentially volatile week dominated by inflation data, corporate earnings and uncertainty over the outlook for artificial intelligence investment. (News On Japan)

Municipalities across Japan are raising the cost of designated garbage bags as waste disposal expenses increase, with one town in Hokkaido proposing a 4.5-fold price hike from 385 yen to 1,735 yen for a pack of 10 bags, while growing pressure on incineration facilities is prompting debate over whether more cities should introduce paid household garbage collection. (News On Japan)

Japan's inflation-adjusted wages rose 2.2% in September from a year earlier, marking the ninth consecutive month of growth and the longest sustained increase in about a decade, as slower price increases helped boost workers' purchasing power. (News On Japan)

Nissan Motor is stepping up efforts to revive its struggling business through new vehicle development, sweeping cost reductions and an overhaul of its sales strategy, as President and CEO Ivan Espinosa seeks to restore the Japanese automaker's competitiveness following consecutive years of massive losses. (News On Japan)

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunged 3,643 points, or 5.96%, to close at 57,435 on Friday, November 6, 2026, marking its fifth consecutive daily decline and one of the largest point losses in its history, as a global selloff in technology stocks spread across the Tokyo market and raised concerns about the sustainability of artificial intelligence investment and corporate valuations. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks suffered a sharp sell-off on November 6 as growing concerns over a slowdown in artificial intelligence investment sent the Nikkei 225 plunging more than 4,300 points at one stage, pushing the benchmark below the psychologically important 60,000 level following a sweeping Democratic victory in the U.S. midterm elections. (News On Japan)

Sony Group reported a record net profit of 791.7 billion yen for the six months from April to September 2026, up 38% from a year earlier, driven by strong performance in its film business, including the worldwide success of a new installment in the Spider-Man franchise. (News On Japan)

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 Stock Average closed at 61,077.90 on Thursday, November 5, falling 1,110.73 points, or 1.79%, from the previous session in its fourth consecutive daily decline, as heavy selling in semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related shares dragged the benchmark to its lowest closing level in about five and a half months, despite gains across much of the broader market. (News On Japan)

Personal information belonging to approximately 1.09 million MUJI Card members may have been leaked following unauthorized access, Ryohin Keikaku, the operator of MUJI stores, announced on November 4, while restaurant chain Denny's also reported a possible data breach involving customer information. (News On Japan)

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group plans to eliminate physical cash cards at a new digital bank scheduled to launch by March 2027, introducing smartphone-based cash withdrawals as part of efforts to strengthen cybersecurity following a surge in unauthorized access to corporate systems. (News On Japan)

Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average closed at 62,188.63 on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, falling 893.23 points, or 1.42%, from the previous trading session as heavy selling in semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related stocks swept through Tokyo markets following the U.S. midterm elections, although a strong afternoon recovery helped the benchmark recover much of its earlier losses. (News On Japan)

A vacant house in Osaka's Ikuno Ward collapsed in October after standing empty for more than a decade, exposing a loophole in Japan's vacant home legislation that prevents authorities from taking action against deteriorating properties when they form part of a row of connected houses still occupied by other residents. (News On Japan)

An 18-year-old Japanese cybersecurity expert has uncovered evidence suggesting that the hacker behind a major cyberattack on GMO Internet Group may be operating from Asia, as the company offers a reward of approximately 150 million yen for information leading to the attacker's identification and investigates more than 700 tips received from the public. (News On Japan)

The Bank of Japan has declared that Japan's underlying inflation rate has reached its long-standing 2% target, marking a milestone in its effort to overcome decades of deflation, even as consumers continue to struggle with food prices rising far faster than the central bank's benchmark. (News On Japan)

GMO Internet Group President Masatoshi Kumagai apologized at his first press conference following a cyberattack on the company's investor-oriented cloud service, acknowledging that security vulnerabilities had been identified by specialists within the group two years earlier but that the warnings had not been adequately addressed. (News On Japan)

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell 208.25 points, or 0.33%, to close at 63,081.86 at 3:30 p.m. on November 2, extending its losses for a second consecutive trading session as a sharp decline in memory chipmaker Kioxia Holdings and continued uncertainty over US technology stocks outweighed gains in semiconductor equipment manufacturers. (News On Japan)

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index enters trading on November 2 after closing at 63,290.11 on October 30, down 1,369.36 points, or 2.12%, in its final session of October, as selling in artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related stocks raised concerns about the sustainability of the technology-led rally, while investors prepared for a shortened trading week dominated by corporate earnings, monetary policy developments and the US midterm elections. (News On Japan)

A series of cyberattacks has exposed millions of personal records belonging to customers of major Japanese companies, including Muji, Matsuya and All Nippon Airways, as well as individuals connected to the Foreign Ministry, while cybersecurity experts investigating a separate attack involving GMO say a serious mistake by the hackers may provide crucial clues to their identities. (News On Japan)

Toyota Motor will begin operating fully autonomous taxis in 2027 through a partnership with U.S. self-driving technology company Waymo, marking a major step in the Japanese automaker's efforts to expand driverless transportation services. (News On Japan)

Japan's furniture and home goods retailer Nitori opened what it describes as its largest store in the world on October 30th in Osaka's Chayamachi district, bringing a major new retail destination to an area east of Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station known for its youth culture, fashion boutiques, and specialty shops. (News On Japan)