The Cultural Affairs Agency has, for the first time, surveyed how the spread of social media is affecting the Japanese language in its annual survey on public opinion regarding the national language, revealing that nearly 90 percent of respondents believe there is some impact. (News On Japan)

A fire broke out in an apartment building in Suginami, Tokyo, shortly before 2 a.m. on September 25th, after a mobile battery being used to charge a smartphone caught fire, leaving six people hospitalized for smoke inhalation and other injuries. (News On Japan)

A 10-vehicle collision on Route 36 in Eniwa, Hokkaido, on Thursday morning left two people injured and set off a dramatic police pursuit, as the driver suspected of causing the crash abandoned his car and fled on foot before being arrested several kilometers away. (News On Japan)

Prince Hisahito, the eldest son of Prince and Princess Akishino, began his visit to the Osaka-Kansai Expo on September 24th, marking his first solo official public engagement. (News On Japan)

A transgender man living in Sapporo has won a landmark case after the Sapporo Family Court ruled that the legal requirement demanding surgical or hormonal changes to alter the appearance of one’s genitals in order to change gender on the family register is unconstitutional. (News On Japan)

A van trapped at a railway crossing in Kaizuka, Osaka Prefecture, was struck by an oncoming train on September 23rd, killing 54-year-old driver Sayuri Hirokawa, with the entire incident captured on a surveillance camera. (News On Japan)

The Tokyo District Court on September 24th approved the release on bail of actor Hiroya Shimizu, 26, who has been indicted for violating the Narcotics Control Act by possessing cannabis. (News On Japan)

Sapporo City has issued an unusual request, urging families not to place 10 yen coins in coffins before cremation, citing the risk of damage to cremation furnaces. (News On Japan)

Police in Hyogo Prefecture have arrested gang affiliates over the abduction of a man in his 20s in Amagasaki, who remains missing, with investigators now moving toward re-arresting several suspects on suspicion of murder. (News On Japan)

A festival float overturned at Ikeda Hachiman Shrine in Ikeda, Nagano Prefecture, on the night of September 23rd, injuring five children. (News On Japan)

Three employees of a delivery-only restaurant in Tokyo’s Edogawa Ward were sprayed with what appeared to be pepper spray on Wednesday morning, leaving them with minor injuries. Police are searching for two masked suspects who fled the scene. (News On Japan)

Princess Aiko, the eldest daughter of the Emperor and Empress, attended an event marking Horse Day, where she enjoyed hands-on experiences with horses. (News On Japan)

Although most people visiting cemeteries during the autumn equinox in Japan are accustomed to cremation as the standard form of burial, a growing number of sites are now offering traditional ground burials. The shift reflects rising demand, particularly from foreign residents, and increasingly from Japanese as well. (News On Japan)

A street in Tokyo’s Roppongi district was blanketed with white foam on September 22nd after a truck exiting a building’s parking area struck fire safety equipment, triggering sprinklers that released firefighting foam across the road. (News On Japan)

A shopping street in Gifu City was the scene of an unusual theft when a man stole six anime-related novels from a café storefront in just 20 seconds. (News On Japan)

A will left by Kosuke Nozaki, the wealthy businessman known as the 'Don Juan of Kishu,' declaring that his entire estate of about 1.3 billion yen be donated to Tanabe City has again been recognized as valid, with the Osaka High Court upholding the earlier ruling against claims by his relatives that the document was forged. (News On Japan)

Monkeys are running wild in Yugawara, one of Kanagawa Prefecture’s best-known hot spring towns, raiding homes, attacking dogs, and eating whatever they please, from bananas to bread. (News On Japan)

The Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture held the Ofunashiro Festival on September 17th, a ritual in preparation for the 2033 Shikinen Sengu, the periodic rebuilding of its sanctuary. The ceremony involves felling sacred timber used to make the vessel known as the Ofunashiro, which holds the sacred container called the Mihishiro for enshrining the deity. (News On Japan)

Three men, including the manager of an adult entertainment business, were arrested on suspicion of arranging prostitution for Chinese tourists in Osaka Prefecture. (News On Japan)

A brown bear has been captured in Sunagawa City, Hokkaido, where warnings had been issued after repeated sightings, with video footage showing the animal extending its long, sharp claws through a fence and attempting to intimidate the camera. (News On Japan)