A woman was fatally stabbed multiple times by a stranger in the elevator of an apartment building in Kobe in August, triggering a surge of discussion online about personal self-defense products. (News On Japan)

Typhoon No. 15 made landfall near Sukumo City in Kochi Prefecture in the early hours of September 5th before re-entering northern Wakayama Prefecture around 9 a.m. The storm then tracked eastward along the Pacific coast, unleashing record rainfall, tornado-like winds, and severe damage across wide areas of Japan. (News On Japan)

A high school student was injured in a bear attack on the evening of October 3rd in Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, while walking home. The bear has not yet been located, and nearby schools and residents remain on high alert. (News On Japan)

A ranking has been released evaluating the attractiveness of cities across Japan, based on 87 indicators across six categories including economy, lifestyle, and transportation. (News On Japan)

A video showing a foreign man desecrating a cemetery in Japan has triggered widespread criticism on social media and led the Australian Embassy in Tokyo to issue a rare warning. (News On Japan)

A rebel motorcycle gang has been terrorizing Hakodate, Hokkaido, racing noisily through intersections, swinging batons, and eventually launching fireworks. (News On Japan)

The traditional dolphin and whale drive hunt resumed in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, with around 10 Risso's dolphins captured on the opening day. (News On Japan)

An 18-year-old high school student from Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, has been arrested for attempting to murder his uncle by lacing his miso soup with poisonous plant leaves in July. (News On Japan)

Police are investigating a theft at To-ji, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Kyoto, after an offertory box was found missing. At around 1:50 p.m. on August 30, a monk reported to a nearby police box that the entire offertory box had disappeared. (News On Japan)

A glider crashed on land near the Menuma Glider Airfield along the Tone River in Kumagaya, Saitama, at about 11:55 a.m. on August 31, and the pilot, a woman believed to be in her 20s, was confirmed dead. (News On Japan)

Graffiti resembling alphabet letters was found carved into the East Shrine Gate at Meiji Jingu in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward on August 28, prompting a police investigation into a possible violation of the Cultural Properties Protection Law. (News On Japan)

A 4-year-old boy was bitten by a redback spider at a daycare facility in Kitakyushu’s Tobata Ward on August 25 after a child at the center had found a female redback spider in the playground that morning, placed it in a bug cage, and set the cage on top of a shoe rack. (News On Japan)

The prosecution is seeking an eight-year prison sentence for a father accused of sexually assaulting his daughter, who was unable to resist. (News On Japan)

A dreadlocked man with a muscular build has been arrested and indicted on charges tied to special fraud after allegedly posing as a police officer. (News On Japan)

Prince Hisahito, the eldest son of Crown Prince Akishino, will ride a 112-year-old restored ceremonial carriage at his coming-of-age ceremony in September. (News On Japan)

City halls in Japan are fielding a barrage of phone calls after rumors spread online that 'an influx of African immigrants will begin, crime will rise, and public safety will deteriorate,' following the designation of four Japanese municipalities as home towns for partner countries in Africa. (News On Japan)

A statue of Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the entrance to a shopping street in Nagoya’s Nishi Ward was found with its head broken off on August 23, according to people connected with the association. The reinforced-plastic head was discovered on the ground nearby. (News On Japan)

As poverty deepens in Japan, more children are eating alone and food inequality is widening, eroding the simple pleasure of dining out. In response, “children’s cafeterias” that provide meals and safe places to spend time are spreading nationwide; their number topped 10,000 last year, exceeding the count of public junior high schools. (News On Japan)

Osaka Prefectural Police are set to begin a pilot program from September 1 to have officers wear body-mounted cameras while on duty, recording footage during deployments. (News On Japan)

A new wave of gyaru fashion is surging in the Reiwa era, and this time the center of the boom is elementary school children. (News On Japan)