Tokyo authorities carried out the capital's first emergency shooting of a captured bear in Hachioji after an adult Asiatic black bear was found caught in a trap near a residential area about 8 kilometers from Takao Station.
Japan's total population, including foreign residents, stood at 122.97 million as of October 1, 2025, down 3.17 million from the previous census in 2020, marking only the third decline since the national census began in 1920.
A 46-year-old doctor arrested on suspicion of dismembering his wife's body and dumping the remains in a river in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, has admitted to the allegations, telling investigators that he laid a blue plastic sheet in the bathroom before cutting up the body and transporting it by car.
A brown bear repeatedly rammed a moving car on a prefectural road in Bifuka, Hokkaido, on the night of September 29, damaging the vehicle but leaving the driver unhurt, police said.
A 34-year-old pet shop owner has been arrested on suspicion of illegally keeping a saltwater crocodile, one of the world's largest and most dangerous crocodile species, along with numerous other regulated reptiles at his home and business in a residential area of Osaka.
Two 14-year-old junior high school students have been arrested on suspicion of obstructing police duties by riding bicycles dangerously in front of a patrol car in Nagoya, part of a practice known on social media as the "Nagoya Ride."
A spectacular sea of clouds appeared over Mount Oe in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto Prefecture, on the morning of September 30, creating a breathtaking landscape as the rising sun gradually turned the mist a deep crimson.
Tokyo recorded rain for a 34th consecutive day on September 29, setting a new all-time record for the capital, but the prolonged wet spell could finally end after Typhoon No. 26 passes the Izu Islands between the night of September 30 and the morning of October 1.
A popular temple in Fukuoka Prefecture has introduced a 500 yen admission fee for foreign tourists while allowing Japanese residents and foreigners living in Japan to enter free, a measure aimed at reducing disruptive behavior and helping protect the religious site.
Nagoya Castle welcomed crowds of domestic and international visitors on September 27, the final holiday before its adult admission fee doubles from 500 yen to 1,000 yen in October.
Japan's government plans to convene an extraordinary Diet session on October 5, with proposed legislation to reduce the consumption tax on food and plans to cut the number of seats in the House of Representatives expected to be among the main issues.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi moved on September 28 to strengthen Japan’s intelligence functions as her government prepared for an extraordinary Diet session that is expected to test its ability to pass tax relief, defend its economic policy and manage rising security pressure from China.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is entering the autumn political season under growing pressure to show that her government can manage relations with Washington and Beijing while keeping Japan’s economic policy on a credible path after the Bank of Japan’s latest rate hike.
Prices of leafy vegetables are rising sharply across Japan as prolonged rainfall and reduced sunlight in September damage crops and disrupt harvesting, with farmers warning that shortages could continue into winter and push prices even higher during the peak season for hot pot dishes.
Japanese director Tomoki Misato's stop-motion animation Candy Caries has won the Grand Prize in the children's category for ages 7 and up at the Ottawa International Animation Festival in Canada, one of the world's three major animation festivals.
When a friend leans across a loud izakaya table to tell you something, where do your eyes go?
A major new railway training center equipped with full-scale tracks, crossings and signals has opened in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture, as Japan's railway industry faces a growing shortage of skilled workers that could exceed 20,000 by fiscal 2028.
TOKYO - Tokyo stocks fell on September 29, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 65,481, down 396 points, as the September-end ex-dividend adjustment, U.S. stock weakness, higher bond yields and oil-related inflation concerns weighed on investor sentiment.
Osaka Prefecture's minimum wage will rise to 1,231 yen per hour in October, providing welcome relief to part-time workers struggling with higher living costs while placing growing financial pressure on businesses, some of which are responding by reducing employee hours and introducing robots that can perform certain tasks for the equivalent of just 94 yen an hour.
The average annual salary for employees at private-sector companies in Japan rose 1.9% to a record 4.87 million yen last year, marking the fifth consecutive annual increase, according to the National Tax Agency.
Toyota Motor's global vehicle sales fell 6.4% from a year earlier to 790,743 units in August, marking the second consecutive month of year-on-year declines as high gasoline prices linked to the Middle East crisis continued to weigh on demand for gasoline-powered vehicles in China.