Central Tokyo recorded its first November summer day in three years on November 6, with temperatures climbing to 25.3 degrees Celsius, while northern Japan faced the threat of violent winds and severe snowstorms from the evening and a tropical depression far south of the country threatened to develop into Typhoon No. 32, potentially the first such storm in 32 years.
Bears preparing for winter hibernation may be able to determine when astringent persimmons have lost their bitterness and become suitable to eat, according to research by the University of Hyogo, which suggests that prioritizing the removal of sweet persimmon trees could help prevent bears from entering residential areas.
A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after allegedly attacking seven women in a series of unprovoked incidents near Jimbocho intersection in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on October 17, with the assaults occurring at four locations over approximately 15 minutes.
A married couple from Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, has been arrested on suspicion of secretly filming women changing clothes and bathing at public bathing facilities, with police saying the pair carried out around 100 illicit recordings and earned approximately 5 million yen by selling the footage online.
A former host club worker in Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district and a recruiter have been arrested on suspicion of exploiting a woman's romantic feelings to persuade her to work at sex establishments, with police alleging that the former host promised they could travel together if she helped him earn enough money.
A 42-year-old mother accused of killing her two children at their apartment in Ibaraki Prefecture in July 2023 was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Mito District Court on November 5th, after judges ruled that her ability to stop herself from committing the crime had been severely impaired by her mental condition, resulting in a sentence 10 years shorter than prosecutors had requested.
Residents of Awaji Island, one of the Kansai region's most popular resort destinations, are facing growing disruption from vacation rentals, with complaints involving late-night drinking, outdoor barbecues, fireworks, illegal parking and garbage disposal violations, while one property operator has been accused of destroying a warning sign installed by neighbors.
A bear cub charged toward a family standing outside their home in Ome, western Tokyo, on November 3rd, rushing straight toward the front door moments after a high-pitched cry was heard from nearby bushes, in an encounter that left the resident shaken.
As of 3 a.m. on November 6, Typhoon No. 31 (In-fa) was moving northeast across the Pacific Ocean east of Japan at 75 kilometers per hour and was expected to become an extratropical cyclone by Friday afternoon, although dangerous swells and high waves could continue along Japan's Pacific coast throughout the day.
Six Pakistani nationals have been arrested on suspicion of repeatedly operating unauthorized taxi services for foreign tourists in Kyoto and other sightseeing destinations, with police investigating what they believe may be an organized operation involving additional suspects.
A government bill to reduce Japan's consumption tax on food from 8% to 1% for two years starting in April 2027 was approved by the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Affairs on November 6, with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Innovation Party securing a majority in favor of the legislation.
The Japanese government is preparing to establish a new cybersecurity response team comprising experts from the public and private sectors, with plans to dispatch specialists to companies and organizations facing serious cyberattacks following a series of unauthorized intrusions and information leaks.
Japan's Digital Agency began offering a trial version of a generative artificial intelligence application on October 30 to help government officials prepare responses to parliamentary questions, aiming to reduce the workload of approximately 180,000 government employees and address the long working hours faced by national civil servants.
FamilyMart will introduce its first do-it-yourself Christmas cake for the 2026 holiday season, allowing customers to decorate their own cakes as the convenience store chain seeks to attract demand for affordable, at-home celebrations.
A Japanese slang term describing children hooked on the instant stimulation of short videos and social media has been nominated for the country's 2026 New Words and Buzzwords Awards, highlighting growing concerns about declining attention spans and the pressure to consume digital content at ever-increasing speeds.
Scientists at Toyo University have identified a possible weakness in alligator weed, an invasive aquatic plant described as one of the world's worst, raising hopes of finding a way to control its extraordinary ability to regenerate as it spreads through Japan's waterways, threatens agricultural land, and creates growing concerns about flooding.
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko visited a museum in Tokyo's Roppongi district at around 7 p.m. on November 4 to view a collection of Renaissance artworks from the Louvre Museum in Paris, showing particular interest in how European culture spread across regions during the period.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunged 3,643 points, or 5.96%, to close at 57,435 on Friday, November 6, 2026, marking its fifth consecutive daily decline and one of the largest point losses in its history, as a global selloff in technology stocks spread across the Tokyo market and raised concerns about the sustainability of artificial intelligence investment and corporate valuations.
Municipalities across Japan are raising the cost of designated garbage bags as waste disposal expenses increase, with one town in Hokkaido proposing a 4.5-fold price hike from 385 yen to 1,735 yen for a pack of 10 bags, while growing pressure on incineration facilities is prompting debate over whether more cities should introduce paid household garbage collection.
Japan's inflation-adjusted wages rose 2.2% in September from a year earlier, marking the ninth consecutive month of growth and the longest sustained increase in about a decade, as slower price increases helped boost workers' purchasing power.
Tokyo stocks suffered a sharp sell-off on November 6 as growing concerns over a slowdown in artificial intelligence investment sent the Nikkei 225 plunging more than 4,300 points at one stage, pushing the benchmark below the psychologically important 60,000 level following a sweeping Democratic victory in the U.S. midterm elections.