Tokyo stocks ended almost unchanged on September 15, with the Nikkei 225 closing around 63,485, down about 8 points, as a rebound in SoftBank Group and selected artificial intelligence-related shares offset caution over oil above $107, rising bond yields and this week’s Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan policy meetings.

Rakuten Mobile said on September 14 that it has withdrawn a plan to forcibly cancel mobile service contracts for customers who fail to link their accounts to a Rakuten ID by the end of November.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government entered a decisive political week on September 15 after approving an outline for food-tax relief and household payouts without settling how the package will be funded, keeping fiscal concerns alive just days before the Bank of Japan is expected to decide whether to raise interest rates again.

Japan's major banks are intensifying competition for household money as rising interest rates revive the appeal of deposits, prompting lenders to launch new savings products, wealth-management services and point-based incentives.

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.

Tokyo stocks were mixed on September 14, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 63,499, down 511.89 points, as selling in artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares weighed on the headline index, while the broader TOPIX rose 32.88 points to 4,061.18 on buying in value, defensive and domestic-demand shares.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the victory of Genta Koja in the Okinawa gubernatorial election reflected the wishes of prefectural residents seeking stronger economic growth, with senior ruling party officials viewing the result as a boost for her administration.

Historic floats and a shrine mikoshi paraded through Tokyo's Akasaka district as the centuries-old Akasaka Hikawa Festival reached its climax with its traditional Shinkosai procession.

Japan enjoyed one of its busiest sporting weekends of the year on September 12 and 13, highlighted by the men's national volleyball team winning the Asian championship and securing qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, while Nippon Professional Baseball's pennant races tightened, Miyu Yamashita captured the Japan Women's PGA Championship, Kosuke Sunagawa earned his first men's tour victory, and the Asian Games moved closer to their official opening.

In this video, we cover the performances taking place this month at the Kabuki-za theatre in Tokyo!

Tokyo police have found that two teenage girls detained during coordinated patrols in the "Toyoko" area of Kabukicho were carrying forged student identification cards containing false ages and names.

Japanese pop culture has had fans around the world for decades, but social media has completely changed the way people discover it.

Tesla unveiled its Cybercab in Japan for the first time on September 11, showcasing an AI-powered autonomous taxi designed without a steering wheel or pedals.

Tokyo's Fuchu Prison is adapting its meals and living arrangements to a growing foreign inmate population, with about one in four prisoners coming from overseas and staff balancing religious, cultural and dietary needs against tight budgets and the demands of running one of Japan's largest prisons.

Police have rearrested a 30-year-old senior member of an organization affiliated with the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi on suspicion of directing a loosely organized criminal group that stole smartphones and other goods worth about 4.15 million yen from stores in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures.

The cost of making a serving of curry rice at home in Japan fell below 350 yen in July for the first time in 11 months, helped by declining rice prices, according to Teikoku Databank.

Japan's corporate goods prices rose 7.6% in August from a year earlier, remaining above 7% for a third consecutive month as escalating tensions in the Middle East pushed up prices for petroleum, coal and chemical products.

Business sentiment among Japan's large companies returned to positive territory in the July-September quarter for the first time in two quarters, supported by growing demand for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and AI data centers as well as improving conditions in hospitality, restaurants and finance.

The takeover battle for Kakaku.com, operator of restaurant review site Tabelog and price-comparison service Kakaku.com, intensified on September 11 after Swedish investment firm EQT raised its tender offer price to 3,680 yen per share, surpassing a rival proposal from a group led by LINE Yahoo.

Tokyo stocks fell sharply on September 11, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 63,442, down 2.8%, as oil prices above $108, renewed Middle East tensions, U.S. rate-hike fears and expectations for another Bank of Japan increase triggered a broad selloff led by artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares.

Tokyo stocks fell sharply on September 11, with the Nikkei average at one point dropping more than 2,000 points as escalating attacks between the United States and Iran drove oil prices higher and intensified concerns about inflation and corporate earnings.

Protein powder prices are rising sharply in Japan as booming overseas demand for whey, partly linked to the growing use of weight-loss drugs, combines with the weak yen to make the key ingredient increasingly expensive for Japanese buyers.

Tokyo's Koto Ward will conduct on-site inspections of all roughly 400 lodging facilities from January 2027 as it moves to strengthen regulations following a sharp increase in complaints over issues including garbage disposal and nighttime noise.

The rapid spread of generative artificial intelligence is fueling construction of data centers across Japan, but plans for two large facilities beside a residential neighborhood in Minoh, Osaka Prefecture, are raising concerns over sunlight, noise and low-frequency sound as authorities confront gaps in rules governing the increasingly important infrastructure.

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.