Hydrogen Ignites in Junior High Classroom, Injures Six

Komeito leader Saito informed Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Takaichi on October 10 that his party intends to withdraw from their coalition, bringing an end to a political partnership that has lasted 26 years, including periods when the LDP was in opposition. Leaders and secretary-generals of both parties met in the Diet at 1:45 p.m. on October 10 to discuss whether to continue the alliance, with Komeito insisting during the meeting that strengthening regulations on corporate and organizational political donations be accepted as a condition for maintaining the coalition.

Japan is bracing for unsettled weather through the upcoming three-day holiday weekend, with Typhoon No. 23 (Nakri) expected to influence conditions across much of the country while a seasonal front brings widespread rain to eastern regions. Forecasters say the rain will begin expanding on October 11, with showers intensifying across eastern and northeastern Japan during the day as a stationary front approaches, while easterly winds feeding into the system are also likely to bring rain to parts of the Pacific side of western Japan.

Tokyo has confirmed its first case of a dog infected with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), a potentially fatal disease transmitted by ticks. It is the first time an animal infection has been recorded in the capital.

Bear attacks are intensifying across Japan, with fatalities in fiscal 2025 already matching the record high set in 2023. Experts warn that the rise reflects not only an increase in bear numbers but also changes in human society that have blurred the line between mountain habitats and residential areas.