NHK has learned that security guards at Shuri Castle in Okinawa Prefecture, southern Japan, first detected smoke in the northern side of the main hall in Thursday's fire. (NHK)

South Africa galloped by England to win the Rugby World Cup in Japan. The Springboks claimed the Cup for the first time since 2007. (NHK)

Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued an eruption notice for Satsuma-Iojima Island in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima. (NHK)

As wholesale prices skyrocket for Pacific flying squid amid a record low catch in Japan, processing companies in the “squid town” of Hakodate, Hokkaido, are scrambling to stay afloat. (Japan Times)

A staple fish in Japanese restaurants and households that has only recently gained global attention faces a looming supply shortage as Nordic countries ban its catch. (Nikkei)

Japan Post Co. began selling the first New Year’s lottery postcards of the Reiwa Era on Friday. (Japan Times)

The mysterious death of over 20 million Akoya pearl oysters in Ehime, Mie and other prefectures this summer is expected to hobble pearl production next year and beyond. (Japan Times)

Japan's government plans to require all retailers in the country to charge customers for plastic bags starting on July 1 next year. Environmentally-friendly bags will be exempt. (NHK)

Quantum computing will reach the practical stage by 2035, and human outposts will be established on the moon and Mars by 2040, an institute under Japan's science ministry predicts. (Nikkei)

Thousands of costumed revelers packed the scramble crossing near Tokyo's Shibuya Station to celebrate Halloween on Thursday night. (NHK)

The government decided Friday to put off the planned introduction of private-sector English proficiency tests as part of Japan's standardized university entrance exams due to start next April, the education minister said, following his gaffe over the matter. (Japan Today)

Police in Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa have told NHK that the entrance to the main hall at Shurijo Castle was found closed shortly after the fire started. (NHK)

As companies across Japan raised prices to adjust to the 2 percentage-point hike in consumption tax on Oct.1, railroad operator Keikyu went against the grain by reducing fares on its cash cow Haneda Airport-to-central Tokyo route by about 30%. (Nikkei)

The town of Kutchan, part of the Niseko tourism zone that includes a number of popular ski resorts in Hokkaido, introduced a 2 percent levy Friday for stays at all lodging facilities in its jurisdiction, marking the first such accommodation tax system in Japan. (Japan Today)

Dozens of hot air balloons from all over the world decorated the clear autumn sky on Thursday as the Saga International Balloon Fiesta opened in Saga Prefecture. (Japan Today)

State media in North Korea on Friday said the country successfully tested a "super-large rocket launcher " the day before. (NHK)

Tokyo's famous Shibuya district was bustling with costume-clad Halloween revelers on Thursday night as the area remained under a street drinking ban and heavy police surveillance in efforts to prevent a possible repeat of last year's anti-social behavior. (Japan Today)

A fire is raging at Shuri Castle, a UNESCO's World Heritage site in the southern prefecture of Okinawa. It started early Thursday morning. Fire trucks have rushed to the scene. (NHK)

A Kumamoto city nightclub filed a criminal complaint Wednesday against players on the Uruguay Rugby World Cup team, alleging they damaged property at the establishment, the nightclub’s lawyer said. (Japan Times)

On October 28, users of Japanese video-streaming website Niconico were shocked when a young Japanese man who was live-streaming his hike to the top of Mt. Fuji tumbled off of Japan’s highest mountain. (soranews24.com)

Nozomi Okuhara has become the second Japanese to be ranked No. 1 in women’s singles, according to the Badminton World Federation’s latest list released on Tuesday. (Japan Times)

Last words before slipping are 'This part is dangerous.' (soranews24.com)

A film festival that began over the weekend in Kawasaki has decided not to show a documentary focused on debates over the issue of “comfort women.” (Japan Times)

NTT Docomo Inc. said Tuesday it will discontinue i-mode, an internet-capable mobile phone system introduced in 1999, at the end of March 2026 due to a dwindling number of users. (Japan Times)

The Imperial Household Agency says Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will visit three prefectures in western Japan next month for ceremonies related to the Emperor's enthronement. (NHK)