Hirokazu Koreeda's "Look Back" received more than 12 minutes of applause following its official screening at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Italy.
The first hearing in a lawsuit seeking the return of 279 sets of Ainu ancestral remains from the Japanese government was held on September 4, marking the first time an Ainu group has taken the state to court over the return of human remains.
A woman in her 60s died after her car was submerged in a flooded underpass in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, as record rainfall caused widespread flooding, landslides and transport disruption across Kanto and surrounding areas on September 7, with authorities warning that further rain was expected during the evening commute.
Three people died and two others were injured in a suspected arson and stabbing at a cake shop in Motosu, Gifu Prefecture, where the 66-year-old female owner had gathered with nine former junior high school classmates on September 5, with police investigating whether a 70-year-old company executive who was apparently not invited to the gathering was involved.
Prince Hisahito, the only son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, turned 20 on September 6, as he continues to take part in a growing range of official duties as an adult member of Japan's Imperial Family.
Young people recruited into illegal "dark part-time jobs" through social media and friends are increasingly becoming involved in fraud and violent robberies across Japan, with interviews at a juvenile training school revealing how the promise of easy money, a desire for recognition and fear of criminal groups can gradually leave them feeling unable to escape.
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.
Japanese customs authorities blocked a record 19,568 shipments suspected of infringing intellectual property rights in the first half of 2026, up 12% from a year earlier, as the expansion of cross-border e-commerce drove an increase in imported parcels.
Hikone Castle in Shiga Prefecture has been formally selected as Japan's candidate for nomination as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, advancing a campaign that has continued for more than 30 years and aims to secure inscription in the summer of 2028.
Highway service areas around the Kanto region are becoming destinations in their own right, offering travelers everything from freshly harvested vegetables and popular regional restaurant dishes to baths, observation decks and family events during the busy summer vacation season.
Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka resigned on September 7 after the city assembly unanimously approved his request to step down over allegations of workplace power harassment, setting the stage for a mayoral election in October.
Tokyo has unveiled the design for a major redevelopment of the plaza outside Shinjuku Station's west exit, with a landmark tree, water-play area and event space planned as part of a transformation centered on "greenery, light and people" that is scheduled for completion in 2035.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said tax incentives on the Russian-held islands claimed by Japan have been successful, using a speech at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok to highlight economic development in Russia's Far East.
Grape-picking season has reached its peak at tourist farms in Kashiwara, Osaka Prefecture, where hot weather from spring through summer has produced particularly sweet, richly flavored fruit this year, although prolonged rain has reduced visitor numbers and could shorten the season.
A school-based torch relay for the Asian Games began in Aichi Prefecture on September 7, with students and other runners set to carry the flame through 14 schools before it reaches the main venue on September 16.
Japanese companies are moving closer to commercializing photonics-electronics convergence technology that replaces part of conventional electrical data transmission with optical signals, potentially allowing huge volumes of data to move with lower latency while sharply reducing power consumption as artificial intelligence drives rapid growth in electricity demand from data centers.
Isuzu Motors has begun full-scale development of a second-generation "AI truck" capable of making driving decisions on its own, as Japan's largest commercial vehicle maker by domestic market share aims to introduce Level 4 autonomous driving in fiscal 2027 to help address a worsening shortage of truck drivers.
The yen strengthened to around 152 against the dollar on September 8, reaching its strongest level in about six months after gaining nearly 7 yen in roughly a week as investors focused on prospects for a narrowing interest-rate gap between Japan and the United States.
Japan's inflation-adjusted real wages rose 2.4% in July from a year earlier, marking a seventh consecutive monthly increase as higher base salaries and easing price pressures improved workers' purchasing power.
Rakuten Mobile faces a new test of its network quality after KDDI decided to scale back roaming support from September 2026, ending access to its network in areas where Rakuten already has its own base stations while continuing service in mountainous and sparsely populated regions.
Japanese homebuyers are facing growing uncertainty as mortgage costs rise alongside a sharp increase in interest rates, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year government bond briefly topping 3% last week for the first time in about 30 years.