Japan and Indonesia have signed an agreement aimed at facilitating trade by simplifying customs procedures. Under the deal, both countries will apply the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) system to companies that are officially recognized as trustworthy by customs authorities. (News On Japan)

Beer deliveries from Asahi Group Holdings have been disrupted following a ransomware cyberattack, causing shortages that have already begun to affect izakaya and other establishments across Japan. Some bars have reported their beer stock falling to “only one left” as supply chain delays ripple through the industry. (News On Japan)

Amid growing expectations for Liberal Democratic Party leader Sanae Takaiichi’s economic policies, stock and bond markets have seen significant movements. The question now is how her inflation-relief measures will shape people’s daily lives once implemented. (News On Japan)

Household spending in Japan rose 2.3% in August from a year earlier, marking the fourth consecutive month of increase, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. (News On Japan)

The Nikkei Stock Average climbed again on October 7th, setting another record high amid growing expectations surrounding the Liberal Democratic Party’s new leader, Sanae Takaichi. The benchmark index at one point rose more than 500 yen, marking the second consecutive day it reached an intraday record. (News On Japan)

The Tokyo District Court on October 6th sentenced former Mitsubishi UFJ Bank assistant branch manager Yukari Yamazaki to nine years in prison for stealing about 400 million yen worth of gold bars and cash from a bank safe deposit vault. (News On Japan)

Toyota Motor Corporation announced that the planned tender offer (TOB) for its founding company, Toyota Industries, will be delayed from the original schedule of December to February 2026 or later due to pending antitrust procedures. (News On Japan)

Zines — short for “magazines” — are small, handmade booklets that allow individuals to express themselves freely without going through traditional publishers. Unlike commercial magazines, zines are self-funded and created entirely by individuals. Across Japan, zine fairs are drawing large crowds and fueling a quiet but powerful publishing trend. (News On Japan)

The Nikkei Stock Average surged by more than 1,900 yen at one point on the Tokyo market on October 7th, setting a new intraday record high. It was the first time in history the index has climbed into the 47,000 range, surpassing the symbolic 46,000 mark. (News On Japan)

From October, a new policy has come into effect requiring some people aged 75 and over to pay 20% of their medical costs at the counter, doubling the previous burden for many elderly patients. For those living on pensions, the increased costs are squeezing already tight household budgets and fueling concern about how to manage daily life. (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)

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)

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 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)

Forever 21, the American fast fashion brand that once led a global boom in affordable clothing, has decided to withdraw from Japan for the third time after its US parent company filed for bankruptcy and supply from the United States came to a halt. (News On Japan)

The wave of price increases continued into October, with more than 3,000 items, including beverages and food, set to rise in price, leaving supermarkets and retailers grappling with how to respond. (News On Japan)

From October, Japan’s minimum wage will rise across the country to exceed 1,000 yen for the first time, a development welcomed by workers but one that is expected to squeeze retailers such as discount supermarkets where higher personnel costs could lead to losses. (News On Japan)

NTT, which had previously announced plans to gradually phase out fixed-line metal cables over the next decade, said at a briefing on September 30th that it will raise basic charges from next fiscal year to temporarily maintain the service. (News On Japan)

Office rents in Osaka are rising at the fastest pace in the world, driven by a wave of new developments in Umeda such as the recently opened Grand Green Osaka, which has brought fresh momentum to the city’s commercial real estate market. (News On Japan)