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Search continues for girl, 7, missing for 4 days in eastern Japan

CHIBA, Sep 27 (Kyodo) - Police on Monday continued searching for a 7-year-old girl who went missing after she left her home in an eastern Japan city to go to a nearby park four days ago.

The family of Saya Minami, a first grader residing in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, on the same day released a message, pleading for the girl to come home.

Saya was supposed to go to the park with her mother but left the house on her own around 11:30 a.m. Friday, with her mother following after her around five minutes later, the police said, adding that by then, the girl was nowhere to be found.

Later Friday, the kick scooter Saya had with her was found at another park in neighboring Nagareyama city in Chiba, the police said. ...continue reading

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Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi and Chinese President Xi Jinping stood side by side before the cameras on October 31st at 5 p.m. for a moment that drew intense attention. “Hello, please this way,” said Xi as the two leaders exchanged a handshake lasting roughly 10 seconds in front of their national flags. Takaichi’s expression was stiff at first but softened slightly into a faint smile, while Xi’s face remained largely unchanged.

Bear attacks are reaching unprecedented levels across Japan, with a record 12 fatalities so far this year as sightings continue daily from mountain towns to city centers, disrupting schools and local institutions.

The Liberal Democratic Party, Nippon Ishin no Kai, and Komeito have reached an agreement on the framework for Japan’s new free high school tuition program, which will begin in fiscal 2026. Under the plan, tuition support for private full-time high schools will be capped at 457,000 yen, while correspondence courses will have an upper limit of 337,000 yen.

Bear sightings have surged across Japan, and in Gifu Prefecture’s Shirakawa Village—home to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go—local authorities held a nighttime drill on October 28th to prepare for possible emergencies.

The Japan Mobility Show opened on October 29th, marking the start of Japan’s premier automotive exhibition, where foreign manufacturers are stepping up their entry into the country’s growing electric vehicle (EV) market.

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A man accused of killing and injuring four family members with a crossbow in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture, was sentenced to life in prison on October 31st, after the Kobe District Court rejected the prosecution’s demand for the death penalty.

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Emperor Naruhito met with former U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time in six years at the Imperial Palace on October 27th. The two exchanged greetings in English, with the Emperor saying, "I’m pleased to see you again," as he welcomed Trump to the Imperial residence around 6:30 p.m.

A 43-year-old former employee of Tsuda University has been re-arrested by Tokyo Metropolitan Police on suspicion of vandalism for spraying his bodily fluid on female students’ clothing on campus.

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