Japan's Environment Ministry will conduct its first survey of animal cafes, where customers can interact with animals including exotic species, as concerns grow over infection risks, injuries and the welfare burden placed on animals.
Haneda Airport introduced two major changes on September 2, opening a new boarding facility at Terminal 1 while moving the checked-baggage deadline for all domestic flights to 30 minutes before departure.
The traditional whale and dolphin drive hunt in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, opened for the season on September 1, with fishermen capturing about 200 bottlenose dolphins during the first hunt.
Police forces across Japan are struggling to recruit enough officers, with the number of people taking police recruitment examinations falling to less than half the level of a decade ago and concerns growing that persistent staffing shortages could eventually affect public safety.
A fire broke out at a shopping arcade near Ise Jingu in Ise, Mie Prefecture, on the afternoon of August 31, sending red flames and thick black smoke into the air as firefighters continued battling the blaze with no immediate prospect of bringing it under control.
About one in three unmarried young people in Japan say they have no intention of marrying, according to the first large-scale survey of young people conducted by the Children and Families Agency, with financial insecurity emerging as the biggest perceived obstacle to marriage.
Officials in Nara are urging visitors to treat the city's famous deer with care and respect as tourist numbers rise and the autumn mating season approaches, when male deer can become particularly aggressive.
Osaka Metro began testing an artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robot at Umeda Station on August 31, using the machine to provide passengers with transfer directions and information on nearby tourist attractions as the railway operator explores ways to ease staffing shortages.
Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, has announced the final name for one of its 19 emperor penguins, completing a public naming campaign that attracted more than 30,000 submissions.
Japan will lower the statutory speed limit on certain residential roads from 60 kilometers per hour to 30 km/h from September 1, with police in Hyogo Prefecture urging drivers to familiarize themselves with the new rules and drive more carefully in neighborhood areas.
Japan is moving to strengthen its defenses against mass drone attacks after Terra Drone became the sole company to advance through a Defense Ministry program for a Japanese-made interceptor drone, drawing on battlefield technology and production methods developed in Ukraine while pushing for domestic production of critical components.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi moved on August 28 to contain market concern over her government’s spending plans, saying Japan will aim to cap new government bond issuance at around 40 trillion yen in the fiscal 2027 budget while still pursuing food-tax relief, growth investment and measures to support households facing higher prices.
Japan has drawn up a new policy package aimed at strengthening energy security in response to developments in the Middle East, including support for alternative oil pipelines that would bypass the Strait of Hormuz and greater use of nuclear power to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Japan byFood and Shizuka are back with Worth The Trip the series where we will discover food spots in Japan that are actually worth traveling for! This time we are going to award-winning eats around Tokyo under one rule – we can only eat for $10 or around ¥1,600 yen.
The Japan Sumo Association announced the rankings for the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on August 31, with last tournament's champion Aonishiki returning to ozeki after two tournaments and taking the second position on the east side of the rankings.
A herd of an estimated 200 to 300 deer has been filmed in the Southern Alps, highlighting a rapidly expanding population that experts warn is damaging mountain ecosystems, stripping vegetation, increasing landslide risks and creating problems across Japan ranging from crop losses to traffic accidents.
Japan's education ministry unveiled a draft of its new national curriculum guidelines on August 31, placing stronger information education for the AI era and greater flexibility in allocating classroom hours among the central pillars of the major overhaul carried out roughly once every decade.
Tokyo stocks ended mixed on September 1, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 66,215.34, down 96.59 points, or 0.15%, as rising bond yields and weakness in semiconductor shares weighed on the index, while the broader TOPIX rose 25.57 points, or 0.62%, to 4,181.86 for its ninth straight gain.
Japan's benchmark long-term interest rate reached 3% on September 1, its highest level since 1996, as government bond selling accelerated on expectations of a possible Bank of Japan rate hike, rising U.S. yields and growing concerns over Japan's fiscal outlook.
Honda and Nissan Motor have agreed to jointly develop an operating system and onboard computers for next-generation vehicles, aiming to introduce the technology in new models from fiscal 2029 as they seek to compete with U.S. and Chinese automakers.
Japan began producing a commemorative 1,000-yen silver coin marking 100 years since the start of the Showa era at the Japan Mint in Osaka on August 31, with a first-striking ceremony held to mark the start of production.