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.
Women now make up a growing share of customers at Akihabara maid cafes, reflecting a shift in Japan's "oshi-katsu" fan culture as visitors increasingly seek not only someone to support, but also a sense of two-way connection with the maids they admire.
Traffic accidents involving rental cars driven by foreign visitors are rising sharply in Japan, with some rental car businesses even stopping rentals to overseas tourists as concerns grow over unfamiliar traffic rules and driving practices.
A 62-year-old Kyoto Prefectural Government employee has been suspended for three months after repeatedly entering a women's restroom at his workplace and taking used sanitary products, with the employee subsequently resigning voluntarily.
Prosecutors have sought a fine of 200,000 yen for entertainer Dewi Sukarno, widely known in Japan as Dewi Fujin, who is charged with two counts of assault against former members of her agency staff, arguing that the 86-year-old has not shown sufficient reflection on her actions.
A man in his 40s who went to collect overdue rent at an apartment in Nishitokyo, Tokyo, was repeatedly stabbed on September 7, with police arresting a 66-year-old resident who was three months behind on rent and was scheduled to vacate the property that day.
A 58-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of setting fire to a home in Tokyo's Adachi Ward on September 4, injuring an 81-year-old woman, as police investigate whether he was involved in six suspicious fires reported in the area over about two weeks.
Emperor Naruhito carried out the annual rice harvest at a paddy field within the Imperial Palace on September 8, cutting two varieties of rice that will be used in ceremonies including the Niinamesai harvest festival.