Genta Koja, a former deputy mayor of Naha who accepts the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Henoko in Nago, won the Okinawa gubernatorial election on September 13, defeating incumbent Governor Denny Tamaki and bringing an end to 12 years of prefectural administrations committed to blocking the project. (News On Japan)

Japan has asked for changes to an Equal Earth world map that depicts the Russian-controlled Northern Territories in the same color as Russia, prompting the map's creator to say the Japanese-language version will be revised while the English version will remain unchanged. (News On Japan)

The Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly elected a new chairman after the resignation of longtime power broker Isao Kuranouchi, while a photograph showing an opposition lawmaker striking a pose reminiscent of the movie Titanic during an overseas inspection trip has triggered a fresh political controversy. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government faced a sharper market test on September 9 as the yen’s rapid rebound began pressuring global carry trades, turning expectations of a Bank of Japan rate hike into a political challenge for an administration still trying to balance household relief, fiscal discipline and economic security. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi entered the final stretch before the Bank of Japan’s September policy meeting facing a new version of the currency problem that has shaped her summer: the yen is no longer collapsing, but its sharp rebound is now forcing her government to explain how far it is prepared to tolerate higher interest rates to restore market confidence. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is accelerating preparations for a Cabinet reshuffle that could take place as early as next week, considering ministerial posts for senior Liberal Democratic Party officials while weighing the treatment of Internal Affairs Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and a new Cabinet member from the Japan Innovation Party. (News On Japan)

Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka resigned on September 7 after the city assembly unanimously approved his request to step down over allegations of workplace power harassment, setting the stage for a mayoral election in October. (News On Japan)

Tokyo has unveiled the design for a major redevelopment of the plaza outside Shinjuku Station's west exit, with a landmark tree, water-play area and event space planned as part of a transformation centered on "greenery, light and people" that is scheduled for completion in 2035. (News On Japan)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said tax incentives on the Russian-held islands claimed by Japan have been successful, using a speech at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok to highlight economic development in Russia's Far East. (News On Japan)

Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on September 3 that the economic policy of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government should not be equated with conventional reflationary policy, after returning from the Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in the United States and briefing the prime minister on the talks. (News On Japan)