Oct 26, 2019 (ONLY in JAPAN) - Japanese Bonsai Trees have been a part of Japanese culture for over 1000 years going back to the Heian Era. Today, we'll visit the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum å¤§å®®ç›†æ ½ç¾Žè¡“é¤¨ in Saitama to see some amazing tree! One in particular is a 1000 year old Ezo Spruce that has a lot of personality.
Western and eastern Japan face a prolonged risk of heavy rain into next week as Typhoon No. 24, a tropical depression and the autumn rain front combine to bring increasingly unstable weather across a wide area, with the typhoon currently located over waters northwest of Okinawa's main island after weakening considerably and losing much of its clearly defined circulation.
A late former professor at Asahikawa Medical University has won the Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine for scientifically examining the proper way to blow the nose, extending Japan's streak of Ig Nobel winners to 20 consecutive years.
Night trains are making a comeback across Japan, with railway operators introducing new overnight services and even experimenting with overnight Shinkansen trains as demand grows for alternatives that combine transportation, accommodation and the experience of traveling through the night.
Bear sightings and attacks have been reported across Japan throughout the summer, with animals damaging sheds, attacking livestock and injuring people, while experts warn that autumn is the most dangerous season as bears expand their range in search of food.
Japan's Environment Ministry will conduct its first survey of animal cafes, where customers can interact with animals including exotic species, as concerns grow over infection risks, injuries and the welfare burden placed on animals.
Young people recruited into illegal "dark part-time jobs" through social media and friends are increasingly becoming involved in fraud and violent robberies across Japan, with interviews at a juvenile training school revealing how the promise of easy money, a desire for recognition and fear of criminal groups can gradually leave them feeling unable to escape.
Tokyo police are investigating the possibility of a serial arson spree after six suspicious fires were reported within about two weeks in the same neighborhood of Adachi Ward, leaving an 81-year-old woman with burns and damaging homes, political party posters, a vending machine and a bicycle.
A 52-year-old restaurant operator was sentenced to 17 years in prison on September 4 for killing his former girlfriend by repeatedly stabbing her in the abdomen and back with two kitchen knives at his home in Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture.
A Chinese man who received a suspended prison sentence and had his driver's license revoked after striking four elementary school students while driving drunk in 2025 admitted at his first trial on September 3 that he repeatedly drove without a license while still on probation.
The Imperial Household Agency is considering holding a significantly scaled-down funeral for former Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, reflecting his wishes to minimize disruption to the lives of the public.
A 17-year-old high school girl was arrested in Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture, on September 2 after allegedly stabbing her 49-year-old father in the neck with scissors during an altercation at their home, with the father later dying at a hospital.
Three men have been arrested on suspicion of attempting to defraud a flood victim in Chiba Prefecture of 3.2 million yen by falsely claiming that his electrical breaker panel and flooring needed urgent repairs, in a type of scam that has surged nationwide in recent years.
A large fire that swept through a shopping district near Ise Jingu in Mie Prefecture was extinguished at 11 a.m. on September 2, about 44 hours after it broke out, after damaging 58 buildings across an area of approximately 4,300 square meters.
