TOKYO - The Sumida River Fireworks Festival, a summer tradition in Tokyo's historic downtown districts, was held across Taito and Sumida wards on July 25, with about 20,000 fireworks lighting up the night sky following a day of intense heat.
The festival's organizing committee said about 920,000 people attended the event.
Source: Kyodo
A landslide on Mount Fuji buried three vehicles as torrential rain battered wide areas of Japan on September 9, while Nagoya continued to assess extensive flooding damage a day after the city recorded its heaviest hourly rainfall on record.
Police are investigating whether a dispute between a 70-year-old man and the female owner of a cake shop in Motosu, Gifu Prefecture, was connected to a murder and arson case that left three people dead and two others injured during a middle school reunion.
Large volumes of floodwater poured into the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, following heavy rain on September 7, prompting the massive underground flood-control facility known as the "Underground Temple" to go into operation.
Osaka Metro plans to abolish magnetic tickets and replace them with QR code-based tickets around fiscal 2031, as declining use and the cost of maintaining conventional ticket gates accelerate the shift toward digital fare systems.
Ticket sales for the Asian Games are gathering pace with less than two weeks until the competition begins, with more than 60% of tickets sold for the opening ceremony and 31 sports as of September 7, although organizers say seats remain readily available for events including soccer and baseball.
Universal Studios Japan unveiled its 2026 Halloween event to the media on September 9, a day before its public opening on September 10, featuring a record number of zombies and the park's first horror attraction restricted to visitors aged 18 and over.
Osaka Metro plans to abolish magnetic tickets and replace them with QR code-based tickets around fiscal 2031, as declining use and the cost of maintaining conventional ticket gates accelerate the shift toward digital fare systems.
JR East has unveiled three finalists to become the new image character for its Suica transportation IC card, as the long-serving Suica Penguin prepares to "graduate" in March next year after more than 20 years as the face of the service.
Kyoto is preparing to effectively prohibit new private lodging operations in residential areas and other parts of the city as complaints over noise, smoking, garbage and operators ignoring existing rules intensify, even as some traditional townhouse owners say tourist accommodation can help preserve the city's historic architecture.
Torrential rain caused widespread flooding across central Japan on September 8, inundating roads in central Nagoya and other cities as linear rainbands formed over Aichi and Gifu prefectures and authorities warned that similar conditions could develop in the Kanto region through September 9.
Prolonged heavy rain linked to the autumn rain front and other weather systems has transformed tourist destinations across Japan, swelling waterfalls, damaging flower fields and disrupting travel as record rainfall continues in several regions.
To From Yaesu Tower, a large-scale mixed-use complex directly connected to Tokyo Station, is set to open on September 10, with developer Tokyo Tatemono unveiling part of the 51-story building to the media on September 7 ahead of its launch.
Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, which has more than 3,900 short-term rental facilities, the highest number of any municipality in Japan, plans to generally prohibit new properties in residential areas and around schools as complaints over noise, trespassing and other problems continue to increase.
