Typhoon No. 23 (Nakri), currently located southeast of the Kanto region, is moving eastward and is expected to become an extratropical low over the far western Pacific on October 15. As of 3 p.m., the storm was positioned about 260 kilometers east of Hachijojima and traveling northeast at around 35 kilometers per hour. Although Hachijojima has now exited the typhoon’s storm zone, Nakri’s area of strong winds remains extensive and will continue to impact coastal regions even as the system moves away.

As bear sightings in Hokkaido’s urban areas surge beyond expectations, Tamaki Yasuo, head of the brown bear control unit of the Hokkaido Hunters’ Association’s Sapporo branch, warns that the situation is becoming increasingly difficult to manage and that humans cannot predict what might trigger a bear to panic.

Japan’s annual prefectural attractiveness ranking has placed Saitama Prefecture at the bottom for the first time, surprising even local restaurant owners. Now in its 17th year, the 2025 survey once again crowned Hokkaido as the most attractive prefecture — maintaining its perfect record since the ranking’s inception.

In the heart of Nara Prefecture lies Imai, a town that has miraculously preserved its Edo-era landscape and traditions to this day. Established in the mid-Muromachi period as a temple-based settlement, Imai developed under the same Buddhist sect as Ishiyama Honganji.