As of 3 p.m. on November 9, Typhoon No. 32 was moving north-northwest over waters south of Japan while maintaining strong intensity, with forecasts indicating it could turn eastward on November 10 and approach the Ogasawara Islands through the morning of November 11, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and dangerous waves.
A male bear weighing approximately 270 kilograms was killed by hunters in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido, on November 8th after being caught in a box trap, with local hunters suspecting it was responsible for a series of attacks on a nearby poultry farm that left more than 100 chickens and ducks dead since August.
Police across Japan are struggling to contain a rapidly spreading social media trend known as "Shorinji Racing," in which children and teenagers shout "Shorinji" outside police stations and police boxes before running away, with Osaka police recording approximately 280 related incidents and taking around 50 minors aged between 7 and 16 into protective custody or questioning them.
A traditional deer antler-cutting ceremony dating back some 350 years was held at Nara Park, where handlers chased and captured male deer before carefully removing their antlers to prevent injuries to visitors during the autumn mating season.
A 35-year-old unemployed man has been indicted in Toyama Prefecture on November 6 for allegedly breaking into a junior high school and stealing insoles from students' indoor shoes, with police seizing 451 insoles from his home and investigating suspected thefts at more than 30 schools across the prefecture.
A 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after allegedly attacking seven women in a series of unprovoked incidents near Jimbocho intersection in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on October 17, with the assaults occurring at four locations over approximately 15 minutes.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck central Japan early on November 8th, registering an upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in Aichi Prefecture and injuring at least 21 people, while damaging buildings and disrupting Shinkansen and conventional railway services across the region.
Sapporo deployed its distinctive Sasara snow-clearing tram for the first time this season early on November 7th, the second-earliest deployment in 10 years, after snowfall reached 8 centimeters at 4 a.m., prompting a vehicle to leave its depot to clear snow from the city's streetcar tracks.
East Japan Railway (JR East) opened its Haneda Airport Access Line construction site to the media on November 6, offering a glimpse of a major underground railway project that will connect Haneda Airport directly with central Tokyo, with services scheduled to begin in fiscal 2031.
Residents of Awaji Island, one of the Kansai region's most popular resort destinations, are facing growing disruption from vacation rentals, with complaints involving late-night drinking, outdoor barbecues, fireworks, illegal parking and garbage disposal violations, while one property operator has been accused of destroying a warning sign installed by neighbors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree placing the Russian operations of Japan Tobacco (JT) under the temporary management of a local company, effectively stripping the Japanese tobacco giant of control over its business in the country and prompting a formal protest from Tokyo demanding that the measure be immediately withdrawn.
The Japanese government approved the allocation of 10 billion yen from its fiscal 2026 general account reserve funds on November 6 to strengthen cybersecurity measures, including inspections of vulnerabilities in government computer systems and upgrades to security equipment.
A government bill to reduce Japan's consumption tax on food from 8% to 1% for two years starting in April 2027 was approved by the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Affairs on November 6, with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Japan Innovation Party securing a majority in favor of the legislation.
Kyoto's Shin-Kyogoku Shopping Street, a bustling 500-meter arcade with more than 150 years of history, is home to some of the city's oldest restaurants, seven Buddhist temples and a Shinto shrine, while a recently rediscovered 90-year-old restaurant manual has revealed unusual dishes and the philosophy of a pioneering Western-style restaurant.
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond computer screens and into factories and logistics centers, where robots capable of interpreting their surroundings and making independent decisions are emerging as a potential solution to Japan's chronic labor shortages, with Japanese unicorn startup Mujin and industrial robot manufacturer Yaskawa Electric leading efforts to develop the next generation of intelligent machines.
The Japan Mint conducted its annual coin inspection at its headquarters in Osaka's Kita Ward on November 9, confirming that all 19,300 coins examined met the required weight standards.
Japan's younger generation is increasingly turning away from driving and car ownership, with the number of driver's license holders aged 24 and under falling by approximately 590,000 over the past decade to around 5.15 million in 2025, reflecting changing attitudes toward transportation, spending and the traditional appeal of owning a car.
Japan's stock market is expected to open higher on Monday, November 9, after the Nikkei 225 plunged 9.25% last week to close at 57,434.77 on Friday, November 6, with a rebound in US technology shares and stronger overnight futures pointing to an initial recovery, although investors face another potentially volatile week dominated by inflation data, corporate earnings and uncertainty over the outlook for artificial intelligence investment.
Nissan Motor is stepping up efforts to revive its struggling business through new vehicle development, sweeping cost reductions and an overhaul of its sales strategy, as President and CEO Ivan Espinosa seeks to restore the Japanese automaker's competitiveness following consecutive years of massive losses.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunged 3,643 points, or 5.96%, to close at 57,435 on Friday, November 6, 2026, marking its fifth consecutive daily decline and one of the largest point losses in its history, as a global selloff in technology stocks spread across the Tokyo market and raised concerns about the sustainability of artificial intelligence investment and corporate valuations.
Municipalities across Japan are raising the cost of designated garbage bags as waste disposal expenses increase, with one town in Hokkaido proposing a 4.5-fold price hike from 385 yen to 1,735 yen for a pack of 10 bags, while growing pressure on incineration facilities is prompting debate over whether more cities should introduce paid household garbage collection.