Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yana submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the evening of October 14 over a controversy involving shuttle buses and other issues, prompting Takaichi to acknowledge her responsibility for appointing him and announce plans to name a successor on October 15.
Japan's first Disney cruise ship will be named "Disney Imagination," with Oriental Land and its partners planning to launch the service in spring 2029, offering a new Disney-themed travel experience departing from Tokyo.
Tokyo's 23 wards have decided to establish a new small-scale public crematorium to address rising fees at privately operated facilities and growing concerns that cremation capacity could become insufficient around 2040 as the city's aging population drives up the number of deaths.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako drew attention during their September 19-20 visit to Aichi Prefecture for the opening ceremony of the 20th Asian Games, when the couple posed beside the popular character No-Face at Ghibli Park and used the Emperor's own smartphone to capture the moment, offering a rare glimpse of the Imperial Family's increasingly approachable public image.
A fire broke out at a factory handling waste plastic in Nara City on October 13, sending thick black smoke into the air and prompting the dispatch of 12 fire engines after firefighters received an emergency call shortly before 3:30 p.m. from a factory representative reporting smoke rising from inside the building, with all workers safely evacuated and no injuries reported.
Four people, including a 13-year-old junior high school girl, were injured when a large festival float collided with a roadside tree during an autumn festival in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on October 12th.
Osaka's iconic Glico sign in Dotonbori will undergo a major renewal next spring after more than a decade of operation, with its current LED display set to be switched off for the final time on November 30.
Typhoon No. 29 was moving northward over waters east of Japan at strong intensity as of 10 p.m. on October 12th, with forecasts indicating that the storm will continue moving away from the country and transition into an extratropical cyclone on October 13th, although high waves generated by the typhoon could pose a growing threat along the Pacific coast of northern Japan.
Osaka's Midosuji boulevard and the Champs-Elysees in Paris have officially established a sister street partnership, marking a new step in cooperation between the two cities on urban development, streetscape improvements, and efforts to attract visitors.
Japan is expected to experience a warmer-than-normal winter as the El Nino phenomenon currently affecting the Pacific Ocean has reached its strongest level on record, with the Japan Meteorological Agency announcing on October 10th that unusually high sea surface temperatures are likely to persist through the coming winter months.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivered an unusually harsh rebuke of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Kazuo Yana on October 13, describing his claims about cutting road budgets in areas that failed to support him as "inappropriate" and "really lame," while signaling that she would reconsider whether he should remain in office as opposition lawmakers intensified their demands for his dismissal.
Japan's Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana is facing mounting pressure to resign over remarks suggesting that government funding was reduced for municipalities that failed to support him in an election, with opposition parties considering a censure motion that could disrupt parliamentary deliberations on a consumption tax reduction bill.
The government’s plan to cut the consumption tax on food is turning into a broader fight over public spending, ministerial accountability and whether Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi can keep her autumn Diet agenda focused on household relief rather than political damage control.
A vibrant purple ingredient from the Philippines is gaining popularity around the world, with ube, a type of yam known for its mild sweetness and striking color, emerging as a potential successor to matcha in the global dessert market.
Hashimoto Rina (橋本梨菜) is a gravure model and idol. She is an original member of sherbet and a former member of SKETCH.
Japan's women's national soccer team, Nadeshiko Japan, suffered a 2-1 comeback defeat to Germany in an international friendly in Bremen on October 13, despite taking an early lead through Momoko Tanikawa.
Around 90 self-proclaimed ninjas from across Japan gathered in Koka, Shiga Prefecture, for the 43rd All-Japan Ninja Championship, competing in traditional ninja-inspired challenges including shuriken throwing, castle wall climbing, and running across water to claim the title of Japan's top ninja.
Japan is expected to fall from fourth to sixth place in the global economic rankings in 2027, overtaken by India and the United Kingdom, according to the latest economic outlook from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), reflecting sluggish domestic growth and the continued weakness of the yen.
East Japan Railway (JR East) is preparing to enter Japan's fiercely competitive mobile payment market with the launch of teppay on October 20, introducing a new QR code payment service through its Mobile Suica platform and potentially tapping into a customer base of 45 million Suica users.
Japan's Fair Trade Commission plans to issue cease-and-desist orders against six construction companies, including firms affiliated with Japan Railways, over repeated bid-rigging in maintenance contracts for Tokyo's Toei subway network and other railway lines, with five companies facing surcharges totaling approximately 500 million yen.
Japan's domestic corporate goods price index rose 6.8% in September from a year earlier, slowing to below 7% for the first time in four months but remaining at a high level as soaring crude oil prices and growing demand for AI-related materials continued to push up costs, according to data released by the Bank of Japan on October 13.