Japan's Children and Families Agency unveiled its first national guidelines on November 10th for parental involvement in children's internet use, dividing those aged 0 to 18 into six developmental stages as the government considers tighter regulations on social media platforms to protect young people from online bullying, exploitation, and other growing risks.
As of 3 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11, Typhoon No. 32 was moving east-northeast over waters east of Chichijima in the Ogasawara Islands, gradually heading away from the Japanese archipelago after passing near the island between late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning.
A rare red Coca-Cola bench was stolen from outside a prepared-food shop in Nagareyama, Chiba Prefecture, in the early hours of October 24th, with the owner suspecting the thieves intended to resell the collectible item to enthusiasts after similar benches were found listed online for as much as 180,000 yen.
Emperor Naruhito presented prestigious Grand Cordon decorations to Toyota Motor Chairman Akio Toyoda and other recipients of Japan's autumn honors at a ceremony held at the Imperial Palace on November 10th, recognizing their longstanding contributions to the country and society.
A 26-year-old yakuza member suspected of sending young women he met in Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district to Cambodia to work as telephone scammers has been arrested for the eighth time, this time on suspicion of conspiring with two women to defraud a man in his 30s of 9.5 million yen.
A 31-year-old Chinese national has been arrested in Tokyo on suspicion of operating an illegal mobile phone base station that forced more than 10,000 smartphones onto a 2G network in less than two hours, allowing phishing messages to be sent to unsuspecting users in busy shopping districts including Ginza, Shinjuku and Shibuya.
Travel conditions across Hokkaido were showing signs of improvement on Wednesday morning, November 11, following heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures that disrupted rail services and prompted warnings for air travelers and motorists, with railway information updated at 4:23 a.m. showing no major delays or cancellations across the prefecture's principal routes.
Odakyu Electric Railway unveiled images of its next-generation Romancecar limited express train on November 10, revealing a striking blue-green design featuring enormous circular windows that will allow passengers to enjoy panoramic views from ceiling to floor when the new trains enter service in March 2029.
A powerful cold air mass brought the lowest temperatures of the season to much of Japan on Tuesday, November 10, with Hokkaido recording a nationwide seasonal low of minus 11.8 degrees Celsius, heavy snowfall covering northern communities, and Tokyo experiencing midwinter conditions as temperatures fell sharply across the country.
The card worked on the subway, paid for a convenience-store coffee and still has plenty of yen left. Then the Shinkansen gate refuses to open. Another top-up seems the obvious fix, especially with a departure time creeping closer. But the balance may be perfectly healthy.
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party reprimanded former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and three other lawmakers on November 9th for leaving the House of Representatives before a vote on legislation to reduce the consumption tax on food, as party leaders sought to prevent further defections that could jeopardize the bill's passage through the upper house.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree placing the Russian operations of Japan Tobacco (JT) under the temporary management of a local company, effectively stripping the Japanese tobacco giant of control over its business in the country and prompting a formal protest from Tokyo demanding that the measure be immediately withdrawn.
The Japanese government approved the allocation of 10 billion yen from its fiscal 2026 general account reserve funds on November 6 to strengthen cybersecurity measures, including inspections of vulnerabilities in government computer systems and upgrades to security equipment.
Kyoto's Shin-Kyogoku Shopping Street, a bustling 500-meter arcade with more than 150 years of history, is home to some of the city's oldest restaurants, seven Buddhist temples and a Shinto shrine, while a recently rediscovered 90-year-old restaurant manual has revealed unusual dishes and the philosophy of a pioneering Western-style restaurant.
Japan's stock market remains vulnerable to sharp swings as uncertainty surrounding artificial intelligence investment intensifies, with Masamitsu Oki, investment director at Five Star Asset Management, warning that AI-related stocks have entered an era resembling gambling and that investors face considerable uncertainty over the industry's long-term prospects.
The Japan Mint conducted its annual coin inspection at its headquarters in Osaka's Kita Ward on November 9, confirming that all 19,300 coins examined met the required weight standards.
Shizuoka City, which promotes itself as the "World Capital of Models," is using plastic model kits as teaching materials in junior high schools, hoping to cultivate future leaders in the model industry.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average surged 1,684.08 points, or 2.87%, to close at 60,459.58 on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. Japan time, recovering the psychologically important 60,000 level for the first time in three trading sessions as investors bought back artificial intelligence and semiconductor shares following a sharp rebound on Wall Street.
Japan's tofu industry is facing mounting financial pressure, with 39 producers going bankrupt, suspending or closing operations, or dissolving their businesses between January and October 2026, as rising soybean prices and sluggish sales leave nearly 40% of manufacturers operating at a loss.
Household spending in Japan fell 6.8% in September from a year earlier, marking the 10th consecutive month of decline and the sharpest drop since September 2020, when consumer activity was severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to government data released on November 10.
Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average closed at 58,775.50 on Monday, November 9, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. Tokyo time, rising 1,340.73 points, or 2.33%, from Friday's close, as investors returned to equities following last week's sharp selloff, with widespread gains across banking, automotive, retail and semiconductor-related shares helping the benchmark record its first advance in six trading sessions.