Night trains are making a comeback across Japan, with railway operators introducing new overnight services and even experimenting with overnight Shinkansen trains as demand grows for alternatives that combine transportation, accommodation and the experience of traveling through the night. (News On Japan)

Bear sightings and attacks have been reported across Japan throughout the summer, with animals damaging sheds, attacking livestock and injuring people, while experts warn that autumn is the most dangerous season as bears expand their range in search of food. (News On Japan)

Kashima Shrine in Kashima, Ibaraki Prefecture, held its Ofune Festival on September 2, with a spectacular fleet of more than 100 brightly decorated boats sailing along rivers and across lakes in a tradition staged once every 12 years during the Year of the Horse. (News On Japan)

Haneda Airport introduced two major changes on September 2, opening a new boarding facility at Terminal 1 while moving the checked-baggage deadline for all domestic flights to 30 minutes before departure. (News On Japan)

Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, has announced the final name for one of its 19 emperor penguins, completing a public naming campaign that attracted more than 30,000 submissions. (News On Japan)

Universal Studios Japan is considering its first expansion since opening in 2001, with plans to use about 60,000 square meters of former Nippon Steel factory land adjacent to the park and potentially increase its total area by roughly 10%. (News On Japan)

Officials in Nara are urging visitors to treat the city's famous deer with care and respect as tourist numbers rise and the autumn mating season approaches, when male deer can become particularly aggressive. (News On Japan)

Osaka Metro began testing an artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robot at Umeda Station on August 31, using the machine to provide passengers with transfer directions and information on nearby tourist attractions as the railway operator explores ways to ease staffing shortages. (News On Japan)

Japan will lower the statutory speed limit on certain residential roads from 60 kilometers per hour to 30 km/h from September 1, with police in Hyogo Prefecture urging drivers to familiarize themselves with the new rules and drive more carefully in neighborhood areas. (News On Japan)

A new large ferry linking Maizuru in Kyoto Prefecture with Otaru in Hokkaido has been unveiled ahead of its first voyage on September 1, offering spacious passenger facilities and a journey time of about 21 hours. (News On Japan)