News On Japan
October 01, 2026
TOKYO - 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.
Image of Japan's Population Falls to 122.97 Million

Typhoon No. 26 is forecast to move through the southern Izu Islands near Hachijojima through the morning of October 1, bringing the risk of torrential rain, strong winds and severe weather before heading east of Japan. Up to 150 millimeters of rain is forecast in the southern Izu Islands during the 24 hours through the morning of October 1, raising the possibility of rainfall reaching warning levels.

A woman in her 50s with severe heart failure underwent what was described as the world's first surgery using commercially available iPS cell-derived heart muscle sheets at an Osaka hospital on September 29, marking the first practical use of the regenerative treatment.


SOCIETY | October 01, 2026
OSAKA - 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.
Image of Man-Eating Crocodile Kept Without Permit in 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 deputy priest at Myoenji temple in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, caught a man red-handed shortly after midnight on September 27 after surveillance footage showed the same person repeatedly appearing at the temple at around the same time each day.

A woman believed to be in her 20s has been found dead at an apartment building struck by a landslide in Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, following heavy rain brought by Typhoon No. 25, raising the death toll across the Kanto region to 13.

A 25-year-old father has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly throwing his two young daughters from the sixth-floor balcony of an apartment building in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, in the early hours of September 26, with police investigating whether a dispute between the suspect and his wife was behind the incident.


KYOTO - 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.
Image of Kyoto's Mountains Turn 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.

A new 220-meter suspension bridge has opened at Biwako Valley in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, offering visitors a thrilling walk high above the mountains with panoramic views of Lake Biwa.


TOKYO - 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.
Image of Tax Relief and Electoral Reform in Focus at Next Extraordinary Diet Session

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.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi returned to Japan on the morning of September 24 following talks with US President Donald Trump and immediately headed to the Prime Minister's Office to finalize key appointments within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party ahead of an extraordinary Diet session in October.


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.

Japan captured the men's 4x400-meter relay gold medal in driving rain on September 29, clocking 3 minutes, 0.75 seconds to win the Asian Games title for the first time in 12 years as the athletics program came to a dramatic conclusion at Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya.

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.


BUSINESS | October 01, 2026
TOKYO - 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.
Image of Nikkei Falls as Ex-Dividend Drag and Higher Yields Weigh on Tokyo

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.

Tokyo stocks fell on September 29, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 65,481, down 396 points, as the market adjusted for September interim dividends and investors remained cautious over high Japanese bond yields, a weak yen, oil prices and profit-taking after the recent rebound.