Country
Japan
- Tokyo police arrest company director accused of faking credentials to get wealthy Chinese clients Japan's 'Highly Skilled Professional' status
Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department on Wednesday, Oct 28, re-arrested a 39-year-old company director on suspicion of violating the Immigration Control Act and also arrested two women. Police allege his business was helping wealthy Chinese clients obtain permanent residency by forging academic records and fake employment papers so they could get 'Highly Skilled Professional' residence status and apply for permanent residency within a year; about 30-40 clients entered Japan this way, possibly paying up to US$450,000 (about 70 million yen) each. A 57-year-old Chinese woman who was arrested told police she had paid US$600,000. The director denies all charges. As of 2025, 32,953 foreigners held the status, 22,169 of them Chinese, or about 67.3%.
Oct 28, 2026 Afternoon - Japan's Koizumi and US Defense Secretary Hegseth agree in Cebu on munitions co-production; Koizumi also meets South Korean counterpart
Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi met US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, Oct 28, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus in Cebu, the Philippines, their sixth face-to-face meeting. The US side said they confirmed close cooperation on munitions co-production and discussed a strategy of 'deterrence by denial'. With Japan revising its three security documents this year, Koizumi reportedly briefed the US on steps to strengthen defence including higher spending, and asked for measures to prevent a recurrence after a US Marine at Futenma base in Okinawa was arrested over a robbery-murder. In the afternoon Koizumi also met South Korea's defence minister, the first face-to-face meeting between the two since Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine on Aug 15.
Oct 28, 2026 Afternoon - Three months after Kumamoto earthquake, 1,073 people still live in shelters and only one house has been publicly demolished
Wednesday, Oct 28, marked three months since a strong earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of 7 hit Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture in July. Prefectural data showed that 1,073 people were still living in shelters as of Tuesday, down from more than 10,000 at the peak. The quake killed 38 people, including indirect deaths, and damaged 82,223 buildings, 11,429 of them fully or half destroyed. Publicly funded demolition of damaged homes began last month, but only one building had been demolished as of Oct 21. By last Friday 2,685 people had moved into temporary housing, and the Kumamoto Labour Bureau counted about 380 people who lost their jobs because of the quake.
Oct 28, 2026 Afternoon - Sapporo and Aomori see first snow of the season as Tokyo and Kinki get the year's first 'kogarashi' winter wind
A winter-type pressure pattern and cold air aloft brought snow to northern Japan, centred on Hokkaido, on Wednesday, Oct 28, and both Sapporo and Aomori recorded their first snowfall of the season. The Japan Meteorological Agency announced at 11am that Tokyo and the Kinki region had experienced 'Kogarashi No. 1', the first strong northerly wind of winter. The agency said winds would keep strengthening in northern Japan during the day and urged vigilance against storms, high waves and snow and ice on roads, with some transport disruption possible.
Oct 28, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Xi Jinping's condolence message for Yasuo Fukuda urges Japan to protect the political basis of ties; Takaichi may attend Shenzhen APEC
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, Oct 27, sent a message of condolence to the family of former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who died on Thursday, Oct 22, at the age of 90, calling him an upright and responsible politician, an old friend of the Chinese people who held a correct view of history, and voicing hope that Japan's leaders will earnestly safeguard the political foundation of bilateral ties. It was a rare direct reference by Xi to China-Japan relations, which fell to a low of many years after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested last November that Japan could send forces if China took action against Taiwan. Japan's foreign minister told the upper house the same day that Tokyo is arranging for Takaichi to attend the APEC leaders' meeting in Shenzhen on Nov 18-19, and that a bilateral meeting is still under consideration.
Oct 28, 2026 Morning - Follow-up: Germany's chancellor meets Japan's Takaichi in Tokyo on critical minerals and chip supply chains
Germany's chancellor left Berlin on Oct 26 for a five-day trip to Singapore, Japan and South Korea, with a stop in Japan on Oct 28-29. NHK reported that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi would hold talks with him on Wednesday, Oct 28, to confirm stronger supply chain resilience across a wide range of items including critical minerals and semiconductors, and closer cooperation on cybersecurity. RFI reported that the two sides might discuss German participation in the next-generation fighter jet being developed by Japan, Britain and Italy. In Singapore, the chancellor said the EU should push for more free trade agreements in the Pacific region, opposed a complete decoupling from China and called for reducing 'unhealthy one-sided dependence'.
Oct 28, 2026 Morning - Hackers publish a user's personal data after Japan's GMO refuses to negotiate over forex system breach
Servers of the foreign exchange business of Japan's GMO group were earlier breached by hackers, leading to unauthorised trades. The group's president said on Oct 26 that the hackers first demanded US$50 million, and NHK reported they later demanded US$1 million with a deadline of Oct 27 while threatening customers. Shortly after noon on Oct 27, the hackers posted one person's personal data online, saying GMO had refused to negotiate; GMO had told account holders to back up data, shut down and unplug their computers before noon that day.
Oct 27, 2026 Afternoon - Tetsuya Chiba, Japanese manga artist and creator of 'Ashita no Joe', dies at 87
The Asahi Shimbun reported that manga artist Tetsuya Chiba died on Oct 22 of myelodysplastic syndrome at the age of 87, and a family funeral has been held. Born in Tokyo in 1939, he moved with his family to Manchuria in 1941, returned to Japan in 1946 and made his debut in 1956 while still in high school. His boxing manga 'Ashita no Joe', serialised from 1967 to 1973, became a social phenomenon; he was the first manga artist to receive Japan's Order of Culture and also led the Japan Cartoonists Association.
Oct 27, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Japan gets first consular visit to Hokkaido Shimbun reporter held in Russia on spying charges
A Hokkaido Shimbun correspondent based in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was arrested by Russia's FSB on Oct 13, the day before he was due to return to Japan, and taken to Moscow. Japan's chief cabinet secretary said on Oct 27 that embassy staff had held a consular visit with him the day before and that his health was fine, two weeks after his arrest. Russia accuses him of collecting information, including on troops mobilised for the war in Ukraine, on the instructions of Japanese intelligence, and a court ordered him held until Dec 12; Japan's prime minister has denied the allegations, and Tokyo is demanding his immediate release.
Oct 27, 2026 Afternoon - Tokyo's Chiyoda ward asks developers for a 5-year resale ban on a new condo project for the first time
Tokyo's Chiyoda ward on Oct 27 asked Mitsubishi Estate Residence and other companies to include a clause banning resale for five years in a planned new condominium project, to stop speculative buyers driving up prices, the first time the ward has made such a request for an individual property. The request, which also bans buying multiple units under one name, has no legal force. According to Tokyo Kantei, the resale rate of condos within five years of completion averaged 2.49% across Tokyo's 23 wards in 2025 and was highest in Chiyoda at 4.92%, with resale prices averaging 62.6% above original prices.
Oct 27, 2026 Afternoon - Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda dies at 90; Beijing calls him 'an old friend of the Chinese people'
Japan's Liberal Democratic Party announced on Monday, Oct 26, that Yasuo Fukuda, prime minister in 2007-2008, died on Oct 22 aged 90; Kyodo, citing sources, said he died of heart failure at a Tokyo hospital. The son of a former prime minister, he became Japan's first second-generation prime minister in September 2007 and served 365 days, during which China's head of state made the first visit to Japan by a Chinese leader in a decade. He later chaired the Boao Forum for Asia from 2010 to 2018, and China's foreign ministry called him 'an old friend of the Chinese people'.
Oct 27, 2026 Morning - Japan hit by new data leaks: up to 51.62 million records at Yumil Link, 170,000 Shinkansen booking members, Rakuten Travel
Japanese email delivery provider Yumil Link said on Oct 26 that 49 systems of its Cuenote FC service were illegally accessed and that leaked email addresses and other data could total 51.62 million records, up sharply from about 9 million announced earlier. JR Central, JR West and JR Kyushu said data of 170,000 members of the Shinkansen booking services Express Reservation and smart EX had leaked, and NHK reported unauthorised access to Rakuten Travel's overseas hotel booking site, exposing names, emails, phone numbers and partial credit card numbers. The prime minister has ordered countermeasures to be drawn up, aiming for next week.
Oct 27, 2026 Morning - Japanese parties resume talks on cutting 31 proportional seats in the lower house; government floats foreign agent registry
Japan's Liberal Democratic Party has proposed cutting only proportional representation seats in the House of Representatives, and NHK reported that its working-level officials put forward options including a cut of 31 such seats, with ruling and opposition parties meeting again on Tuesday, Oct 27. Some parties can accept cuts to proportional seats but disagree on the size. The government also told an expert panel on strengthening intelligence capabilities that it will create a 'foreign agent' registration system to prevent improper interference by foreign governments.
Oct 27, 2026 Morning - Japan to give a finished coastal surveillance radar to a like-minded country under OSA for the first time; signs defence transfer pact with Finland
NHK reported that the Japanese government is arranging to provide a completed coastal surveillance radar system to a like-minded security partner through its Official Security Assistance (OSA) framework, which would be the first time the scheme supplies finished defence equipment. The Asahi Shimbun reported that Japan and Finland held defence ministers' talks the same day, signing an agreement on the transfer of defence equipment and technology and also discussing nuclear policy.
Oct 27, 2026 Morning - Japanese prosecutors indict US Marine for murder over strangling of 39-year-old Naha woman in Okinawa hotel
Japanese prosecutors indicted a 20-year-old US Marine on a murder charge, accusing him of strangling a 39-year-old woman from Naha with a telephone cord in a hotel in Okinawa. The case has heightened local concern over discipline among US forces in Japan and how the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement is applied. The Okinawa prefectural government asked the US side to cooperate with the investigation and prevent similar cases, and US Forces Japan said it would cooperate with Japanese judicial procedures.
Oct 26, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Japanese firms including GMO compensate users after major cyberattacks; ministers to meet tonight
After a string of cyberattacks in Japan affecting internet services and foreign exchange trading, GMO Internet and other companies announced compensation for users. GMO said it would cover losses caused by unauthorised access to forex trading and would first give all customers 5,000 yen as a goodwill payment. The Prime Minister's Office arranged a meeting of relevant cabinet ministers on the evening of Oct 26 to discuss responses and information sharing, and the Financial Services Agency asked affected firms to submit reports.
Oct 26, 2026 Afternoon - Women's shogi quadruple titleholder Tomoka Nishiyama to turn professional, set to become Japan's first female pro player
Tomoka Nishiyama, who holds four women's shogi titles, announced at a news conference that she will exercise the qualification she has earned to become a professional shogi player. Once the procedures are completed, she will be the first woman to become a professional player in Japanese shogi. Women's title matches and the professional ranks have long been separate tracks, but recent rule changes allow women who meet the criteria to apply to join professional play.
Oct 26, 2026 Afternoon - JR Central's 'Doctor S', successor to Shinkansen inspection train 'Doctor Yellow', makes first run
'Doctor S', the successor to the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen inspection train 'Doctor Yellow' that was retired last year, made its first run on JR Central's section on Oct 26, taking over inspections of track, overhead lines and signalling equipment. JR Central said the inspection functions have been fully handed over, and that the schedule will not necessarily be announced in advance for safety and operational flexibility.
Oct 26, 2026 Afternoon - Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori wins fourth term with about 586,000 votes, beating six challengers
In the Fukushima prefectural governor election on Sunday, Oct 25, 62-year-old independent incumbent Masao Uchibori won a fourth term with about 586,000 votes, defeating six candidates including a 33-year-old Japanese Communist Party newcomer, who received about 37,000. Turnout was 44.05%, up from 42.58% last time, and the seven candidates were the most in any post-war Fukushima governor race. Uchibori said he will push for removing decontamination soil from the prefecture for final disposal by 2045 and for finishing the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant by 2051.
Oct 26, 2026 Morning - Japan's GMO asks government for active cyber defence after forex auto-trading servers hacked; survey finds 30% of big firms had leaks
Japan's GMO Internet Group disclosed unauthorised access to servers for its automated foreign exchange margin trading service and asked the government to take active cyber defence measures. A Teikoku Databank survey of 1,328 companies nationwide this month found that about 30% of large companies and more than 10% of small and medium-sized firms had experienced actual or suspected information leaks, caused both by human error such as misdirected emails and by cyberattacks. The Liberal Democratic Party called for a response system led by the prime minister.
Oct 26, 2026 Morning - US Rep. Ami Bera says Rubio confirmed Washington will not use Taiwan as a bargaining chip with China
Ami Bera, ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, said in an interview in Tokyo on Oct 24 that he had confirmed with Secretary of State Marco Rubio that US policy of not using Taiwan or arms sales to Taiwan as bargaining chips with China has not changed. He criticised Trump's tariffs and the Middle East war as not coordinated with Congress, saying they had pushed up prices of petrol, food and housing, and said he was confident Democrats would win a House majority in the Nov 3 midterms, in which case he would lead the subcommittee.
Oct 26, 2026 Morning - Magnitude 7.0 deep quake west of Japan's Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands; no tsunami risk
A strong deep earthquake struck the Pacific west of Japan's Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands at about 11:10am on Sunday, Oct 25. The USGS measured magnitude 7.0; GDACS initially gave 6.5, with a depth of about 490 km and its lowest alert level, saying no one lived within 100 km of the epicentre. NHK said intensity 3 was recorded in the Ogasawara Islands and intensity 2 to 1 across a wide area from Tohoku to the Tokai region. Because the quake was so deep, there was no risk of abnormal waves; a magnitude 4.8 aftershock was recorded in the same area about 25 minutes later.
Oct 25, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Typhoon Champi's outer moisture floods roads in Wakayama City; South Korea's first October typhoon in 12 years postpones KBO playoff game
After Typhoon Champi (Typhoon No. 30) passed Taiwan on Oct 24, it moved north-east over the East China Sea. NHK said warm, moist air around the storm fed a front near Honshu and brought heavy rain to many areas; around 10am on Sunday, Oct 25, roads outside NHK's Wakayama station in Wakayama City flooded like a river and traffic cones were washed away. South Korean media said a typhoon warning was issued for waters off Jeju on Oct 25 — the first October typhoon to affect South Korea since 2014 — with rain in the south and on Jeju lasting until the morning of Oct 26, and central temperatures expected to fall below freezing on Wednesday. The first Samsung–Kia KBO playoff game scheduled for Oct 25 in Daegu was cancelled because of rain and moved to 6:30pm on Oct 26.
Oct 25, 2026 Afternoon - Japan's LDP and Ishin to set up working group in November to revise three key national security documents
NHK reported that Japan's Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) plan to set up a working-level group next month to begin discussing revisions to three security documents: the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy and the Defense Buildup Program. Topics include how to strengthen defence capabilities, the size of defence spending, acquiring nuclear-powered submarines and reviewing the 'three non-nuclear principles'. An Asahi Shimbun poll in October put the Takaichi cabinet's approval rating at 50% and disapproval at 35%.
Oct 25, 2026 Morning - Kyushu University's 'third-generation' OLED technology reaches 100% efficiency without rare metal iridium
The Asahi Shimbun reported that organic light-emitting materials used in phone and TV screens still rely mainly on technology 25 to 40 years old: first-generation fluorescence from the late 1980s tops out at 25% efficiency, while second-generation phosphorescence from around 2000 reaches 100% but needs scarce, expensive iridium. The 'third-generation' technology published in 2012 by Kyushu University distinguished professor Chihaya Adachi reaches 100% efficiency without iridium by designing the structure of organic molecules. Adachi was named a Clarivate Citation Laureate in September.
Oct 25, 2026 Morning - German Chancellor Merz to visit Japan and South Korea next week, meeting PM Takaichi on Oct 28 and President Lee Jae-myung in Seoul from Oct 29
NHK reported that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit Japan next week for a summit with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on cooperation including economic security. South Korean media said Merz will then make a two-day visit to South Korea from Oct 29 for a summit with President Lee Jae-myung in Seoul. KBS said it will be his first visit to South Korea as chancellor, and he will also attend the 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in Seoul.
Oct 24, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Japan's DPFP leans towards LDP compromise to cut 31 lower-house seats, with further talks on Oct 26
At cross-party talks in Tokyo on Oct 22, the Liberal Democratic Party proposed cutting the 465-seat House of Representatives by 31 seats, all from proportional representation, and the Asahi Shimbun reported on Oct 24 that the Democratic Party for the People was leaning towards accepting it. The plan is based on projections that Japan's population in 2030 will be 6.7% smaller than in 2015, and proportional seats would be allocated by a modified Sainte-Laguë method that favours small and mid-sized parties. The DPFP's acting leader said the plan 'took our party's ideas into account' and the party will discuss it again on Oct 26; coalition partner Ishin had sought a 45-seat cut, but some within it are willing to accept 31.
Oct 24, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Hackers raid client funds in GMO group's automated forex trading service in apparent bid to pressure the company
The Asahi Shimbun reported that after unauthorised access to a GMO Internet group service for automated foreign-exchange margin (FX) trading, several customers said trades they did not recognise appeared in their accounts and caused cash losses. Victims received emails, apparently from the attackers, saying they had logged into the trading accounts and were making demands of GMO, with a link asking them to get in touch. An analyst at Mitsui Bussan Secure Directions (MBSD) said directly hitting customer assets to extort a company was 'unheard of', and recommended two-step verification, trade notifications and keeping as little money as possible in automated trading accounts.
Oct 24, 2026 Afternoon - Japan changes tax-free shopping for tourists from Nov 1: pay 10% consumption tax first, get a refund on departure
CNA reported that from Nov 1 Japan will switch to a new tax-free system under which tourists pay the 10% consumption tax when shopping and claim a refund when leaving the country, to stop visitors reselling tax-free goods inside Japan. Tokyo Customs demonstrated the new process to the media at Haneda Airport on Oct 22, where more than 20 terminals have been installed; travellers at Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose, Naha and other airports can complete part of the procedure online in advance.
Oct 24, 2026 Afternoon - Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games: South Korea's Jang Min-ho breaks 16-year-old 400m T13 world record in 46.24 seconds; Hong Kong adds 6 medals
Visually impaired sprinter Jang Min-ho won gold in the men's 400m T13 at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games in 46.24 seconds, breaking a world record that had stood for 16 years and adding to his 100m gold. Hosts Japan lost the wheelchair rugby final. Hong Kong's Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism congratulated the Hong Kong team on winning six more medals on Oct 23.
Oct 24, 2026 Afternoon - Japan FA president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto says Saudi security situation makes hosting the Asian Cup on schedule difficult
Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said after an AFC extraordinary congress in Tokyo on Oct 23 that Saudi Arabia's current security situation makes it difficult to host the Asian Cup as scheduled from Jan 7 to Feb 5 next year. The Saudi side said the safety of players and fans is the top priority and that it will discuss the matter with the AFC. AFC President Sheikh Salman said last week the tournament could be postponed to 2028 if necessary.
Oct 24, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: PHP security flaws force Japan's SoftBank to pause phone disaster alerts and Japan's health ministry to halt 31 systems
Governments and companies worldwide are still rushing to patch websites after PHP developers released fixes for critical vulnerabilities on Wednesday, Oct 21, with millions of intrusion attempts forcing some systems offline. Japan's government said on Oct 23 it will set up a team to simulate cyberattacks with AI to find weak points, and SoftBank, Japan's third-largest mobile carrier, suspended its emergency alert system for phone users, meaning no earthquake, tsunami, disaster or evacuation warnings during maintenance. NHK said Japan's health minister announced the suspension of 31 systems and websites run by the ministry and affiliated bodies, with no data leak found, and South African presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya said the presidency's website was taken offline as a precaution with no sign of intrusion.
Oct 24, 2026 Morning - Japan weighs phasing out gasoline subsidies from December; average price could rise to 175–180 yen a litre
Two ruling-party officials said on Oct 23 that Japan's government is considering gradually cutting gasoline subsidies as early as December over fears funding will run out. The emergency measure, introduced in March as the Middle East war drove up oil prices, holds the national average for regular gasoline at about 170 yen a litre, costs billions of dollars a month and is rapidly draining a 3.1 trillion yen supplementary budget passed in June. Under the plan discussed by the government and ruling coalition, weekly payments to fuel wholesalers would shrink, lifting the average retail price to about 175 yen in December and about 180 yen in January; NHK said Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi would review the support, including the 170-yen level.
Oct 24, 2026 Morning - Japan's revised Imperial House Law takes effect, letting female royals stay in the imperial family after marriage and allowing adoption of male-line men from former branches
NHK reported that Japan's revised Imperial House Law took effect on Oct 24, allowing female members of the imperial family to keep their status after marriage and permitting the adoption of male-line men from former imperial branches; the Imperial Household Agency will now study the details. Asahi said the question of allowing a female emperor or an emperor from the female line was shelved.
Oct 24, 2026 Morning - US Kadena Air Base in Okinawa to bar BYD electric cars from Oct 26 over concerns about cameras and sensors gathering intelligence
Taiwan's Central News Agency, citing Yonhap, reported that the US military's Kadena Air Base in Okinawa will ban BYD electric vehicles from Oct 26, affecting cars used by base personnel, contractors, businesses and taxis. US Forces Japan officials said the concern is that the vehicles' cameras and sensors could collect and leak sensitive information from inside the base. In June the US added BYD, along with Alibaba, Baidu and NIO, to a list of companies it says assist China's military; Alibaba then sued the US government, China's foreign ministry called the list discriminatory, and BYD did not immediately respond.
Oct 24, 2026 Morning - Japanese novelist Ryu Murakami, author of 'Almost Transparent Blue' and 'Coin Locker Babies', dies at 74
Japanese publisher Gentosha announced on Friday, Oct 23, that novelist Ryu Murakami had died aged 74; his work dealt with sex, violence and youth culture and has been translated around the world. His debut 'Almost Transparent Blue', about young people immersed in drugs and sex, won one of Japan's most prestigious literary prizes in 1976; 'Coin Locker Babies' (1980) tells how children abandoned in coin lockers survive, and 'In the Miso Soup' (1997) follows a tourist into Tokyo's red-light district. Gentosha called him 'a front-runner of an era'.
Oct 24, 2026 Morning - Japan's September core inflation rises to 2.1%, highest this year, staying above Bank of Japan target as markets eye December hike
Japan's core consumer price index, excluding fresh food, rose 2.1% year on year in September, the highest this year; headline inflation was also 2.1%, and the 'core-core' measure excluding energy stayed above the 2% target. Rice prices fell 20.6%, but durable goods and utilities pushed goods inflation to 2.8%. The Nikkei 225 fell more than 1% on Friday and the yen strengthened to about 156.15 per dollar; the BOJ raised rates to about 1.25% in September, the highest in about three decades, and the lower house began debating a bill to cut the consumption tax on food from 8% to 1% for two years.
Oct 23, 2026 Afternoon - Hideki Matsui to become Yomiuri Giants manager, returning to his old club after 24 years
Asahi and NHK reported on Oct 23 that the Yomiuri Giants will appoint Hideki Matsui, 52, as their next manager, his first return to the club since his playing days 24 years ago. The previous manager resigned after being arrested in May on suspicion of assault, a case later dropped without charge; the Giants finished second in the regular season and went out in the first round of the playoffs. Matsui joined the Yankees in 2003, was World Series MVP in 2009, retired in 2012 with 2,643 hits and 507 home runs, and received the People's Honour Award in 2013.
Oct 23, 2026 Afternoon - Japan awards Order of Culture to Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and architect Toyo Ito
Asahi reported that Japan will award the Order of Culture, one of its highest honours for cultural achievement, to game producer Shigeru Miyamoto and architect Toyo Ito, among others. Miyamoto is known for Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda and has long led game production at Nintendo.
Oct 23, 2026 Afternoon - Japan's LDP proposes cutting only 31 proportional seats from the House of Representatives; Democratic Party for the People signals understanding
Asahi Shimbun reported that the Liberal Democratic Party, at a cross-party electoral reform council on Oct 22, proposed a compromise cutting only 31 proportional-representation seats from the 465-seat lower house, after opposition parties rejected the 45-seat cut proposed with Nippon Ishin no Kai. The plan would also switch seat allocation from the D'Hondt method to a modified Sainte-Laguë method more favourable to small and mid-sized parties, and raise the threshold for dual candidates' revival from one-tenth to one-sixth of valid votes, aiming for agreement within the month. The Democratic Party for the People's acting leader said it was 'better than cutting 45', while Ishin's leader insisted on a 10% cut, or 45 seats.
Oct 23, 2026 Morning - Every car navigation system in Kyushu wrongly shows 'level 5 heavy rain emergency warning'; land ministry blames staff error
Asahi Shimbun reported that at about 3 pm Japan time on Oct 22, car navigation systems in moving vehicles across Kyushu simultaneously displayed a red-framed alert reading 'Level 5 heavy rain emergency warning: underpasses dangerous!'. The land ministry's Kyushu Regional Development Bureau said that evening it was sent in error by a staff member practising on the system ahead of the approaching typhoon, retracted it about 20 minutes later and apologised; there was no disaster-level rain in Kyushu at the time. The function began on Oct 6, and the bureau said the incident was unrelated to unauthorised access or the PHP vulnerability.
Oct 23, 2026 Morning - Global yttrium exports have 'stalled', Japanese industry ministry official says; China's yttrium oxide shipments to Japan down over 90%
Japan Times reported that an official of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Oct 21 that exports of the rare earth yttrium had 'stalled' globally, not just to Japan, tightening supply and sending prices soaring; the Financial Times had reported Japan's stocks could run out within months. Yttrium is used in consumer electronics, LEDs, jet engines and chipmaking equipment; IEA data show China accounts for nearly two-thirds of global rare-earth mining and 92% of refining, and Chinese customs data show September yttrium oxide exports to Japan of 4,000 kg against 51,000 kg a year earlier.
Oct 22, 2026 Afternoon - Kanagawa police diverted photos from surrendered driver's licences to security-police surveillance files for about 30 years
Asahi Shimbun reported that Japan's National Police Agency said on Oct 22 that several Kanagawa police stations had, since at least about 30 years ago, passed old licences collected at renewal to security and public-safety units, using the photos as files on people under investigation or surveillance, likely violating the Personal Information Protection Act. It came to light after an officer in his 20s left a bag with 31 old licences on a station bench while drunk on Aug 22. The agency has set up a task team, is checking other prefectural police forces, and ordered that old licences in principle no longer be collected but punched and returned.
Oct 22, 2026 Afternoon - 70-cm dinosaur footprint found in Fukushima's Minamisoma is Japan's largest Jurassic dinosaur track
Asahi Shimbun reported that Minamisoma in Fukushima Prefecture announced on Oct 22 the discovery of a roughly 70-cm fossil footprint in late-Jurassic rock about 160 million years old, possibly from a long-necked sauropod similar to Brachiosaurus — Japan's first Jurassic sauropod track and its largest Jurassic dinosaur footprint, beating a 33-cm track found in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, in 1993. Twelve footprints, five possibly sauropod, were found over 7–8 metres after excavation in July; a life-size panel goes on display at the Minamisoma city museum from Oct 23.
Oct 22, 2026 Afternoon - Wrong national anthems played three times at Asian Para Games in Nagoya; Iran's anthem played for Taiwanese and Mongolian gold medallists
Japan Times reported that at the Asian Para Games, held across Aichi Prefecture, the wrong anthem was played three times on Oct 19: Iran's anthem was played at medal ceremonies for Mongolian and Taiwanese para-taekwondo gold medallists, and South Korea's anthem was started before a China–Iran women's sitting volleyball match. Organisers blamed a settings error in the music software and re-held the men's ceremony on Oct 21; Nagoya's mayor, acting head of the organising committee, apologised.
Oct 22, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: 'Violent' Typhoon Champi to approach Okinawa's Sakishima Islands Oct 23–24; Taiwan issues sea warning
NHK said the large, violent Typhoon No. 30, Champi, is expected to approach the Sakishima Islands of Okinawa Prefecture around Oct 23–24 with winds strong enough to blow down some houses; Japan Times said the Japan Meteorological Agency placed it in the strongest of five categories, with maximum winds of 216 kph, and it could affect parts of Kyushu from the weekend. Taipei Times said Taiwan's Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning late on Oct 21 and expected a land warning on the afternoon of Oct 22, with the greatest impact on Taiwan on Oct 23 and 24; on the afternoon of Oct 21 the storm centre was about 910 km east-southeast of Taiwan's southern tip, with maximum winds near the centre easing to 209 kph and a storm radius that may expand to 300 km. Taiwan's foreign ministry moved passport collection due on Oct 23 forward to Oct 22.
Oct 22, 2026 Morning - Koyoshi River floods in Japan's Akita Prefecture; top level-5 flood warning issued, PM's office sets up liaison room
NHK reported that a low-pressure system and a front brought record heavy rain to Akita Prefecture on Oct 21, the Koyoshi River was confirmed to have flooded, and authorities issued a level-5 special flood warning, which was lowered to a level-2 flood advisory around 2 am on Oct 22. The Japanese government set up a liaison room at the crisis management centre of the prime minister's office at 7:45 pm on Oct 21 to gather information and confirm damage. Akita police said they had no reports of casualties so far but confirmed fallen trees and flooding in several places; Yurihonjo city lifted its citywide 'emergency safety' alert at 2:59 am on Oct 22.
Oct 22, 2026 Morning - Tokyo and Osaka set records for latest 30°C day; Hong Kong issues its latest-ever Very Hot Weather Warning
Japan Times reported that temperatures in Tokyo and Osaka topped 30°C on Wednesday, Oct 21, the latest such day in the year on record for both cities, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency; Tokyo's previous record, in observations since 1875, was Oct 19, 2024, and Osaka's was Oct 20, 1933. Hong Kong Free Press said the Hong Kong Observatory issued a Very Hot Weather Warning at 6:45 am the same day, beating the previous latest record of Oct 19, 2024; Yuen Long reached 36°C at midday and the Observatory headquarters in Tsim Sha Tsui recorded 33.8°C. The Observatory said the northeast monsoon would reach the coast that night.
Oct 22, 2026 Morning - Follow-up: autopsy finds Taiwanese tourist at Lake Kawaguchi hotel died of blood loss; fellow Taiwanese tour member arrested with bloody knife
On the morning of Oct 19 a 38-year-old Taiwanese woman surnamed Chin was found dead in a guest room at a tourist hotel in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture. Liberty Times, citing Yamanashi Television and other reports, said a forensic autopsy found a deep knife wound to the neck and death from massive blood loss; police arrested a 27-year-old Taiwanese woman surnamed Yang from the same tour group on suspicion of violating Japan's firearms and swords law, seized a bloody kitchen knife believed bought during the trip, and are still investigating their relationship and how the crime unfolded. The two had booked the tour separately and each paid extra for a single room; the group arrived in Japan on the evening of Oct 17 and stayed at the hotel after visiting Oshino Hakkai and Asama Shrine on Oct 18.
Oct 21, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Typhoon Champi strengthens to 'large and violent'; expected near Okinawa's Sakishima Islands from Oct 23
NHK reported that Typhoon No. 30 (international name Champi) strengthened again on the night of Oct 20 into a 'large and violent' typhoon, expected to approach Okinawa's Sakishima Islands around Oct 23–24 with gales and violent seas, and possibly affect western Japan afterwards. Taipei Times reported Taiwan's Central Weather Administration saying that as of 2 pm on Oct 20 the storm was about 1,536 km east-southeast of Oluanpi, with maximum sustained winds of 198 kph, moving west-northwest at 23 kph; a sea warning could come as early as the evening of Oct 21, while a land warning would depend on how sharply it turns north, with northern Taiwan and Yilan possibly seeing peripheral effects.
Oct 21, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: GMO confirms China-made AI tool ARTEX used in cyberattacks on dozens of Japanese firms
Taipei Times, citing Reuters, reported that the information-security unit of Japan's GMO Internet Group said on Oct 20 that, after investigating with external organisations, it had 'confirmed ARTEX was used' in a recent wave of hacks on Japanese companies. Over recent weeks dozens of firms, from restaurant chains to car-hire operators, disclosed unauthorised access or data breaches that may affect millions of customers. GMO cybersecurity centre director Daiki Fukumori wrote on the company blog that the attacks were 'almost exclusively targeting Japan'. ARTEX is a Chinese-developed AI cybersecurity tool.
Oct 21, 2026 Afternoon - Company executive stabbed near Osaka District Court; 67-year-old turns himself in
Japanese media including the Asahi Shimbun and NHK reported that at about 9:50 am on Oct 20 a 60-year-old company executive from Sakai's Higashi Ward was stabbed in the neck on a street near Osaka District Court in Nishitenma, Kita Ward, Osaka; he could still talk when taken to hospital, his life was not in danger, but the injury was serious. Osaka Prefectural Police arrested on suspicion of attempted murder a 67-year-old self-employed man from Tennoji Ward who turned himself in at Temma police station; he admitted the act, cited a money dispute, and said he brought a knife from home to threaten the victim. Police seized a folding knife with a blade of about 10 cm.
Oct 20, 2026 Afternoon - Russia arrests Hokkaido Shimbun reporter Yuki Imai in Far East; Tokyo protests to Russian ambassador
Russia said it had arrested Hokkaido Shimbun reporter Yuki Imai in the Sakhalin region of the Far East on suspicion of gathering information on mobilised soldiers, and released footage of his transfer to Lefortovo Prison in Moscow; Japanese embassy staff in Moscow were reportedly denied a meeting. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi denied he was spying for Japan, and his newspaper took the same position. Japan lodged a formal protest with the Russian ambassador in Tokyo on Wednesday. Analysts said the arrest deepens already frosty Japan–Russia ties and that a weak Tokyo response could invite further tests from Moscow.
Oct 20, 2026 Afternoon - Ruling: former truck driver gets maximum 7-year prison term over Shin-Meishin crash that killed 6
Tsu District Court in Mie Prefecture on Oct 20 sentenced former truck driver Mizutani Mitsuyo, 55, of Akitakata, Hiroshima Prefecture, to seven years' imprisonment for negligent driving causing death — the statutory maximum and matching the prosecution's request — over the March 20 rear-end crash on the Shin-Meishin Expressway outbound that killed six. Prosecutors said she spent about 10 of roughly 13 seconds before impact watching a TikTok cooking video and checking a driving log on her phone, then hit a stopped queue at about 82 km/h; the dead included a family of five from Fukuroi, Shizuoka, and a 56-year-old employee from Soka, Saitama. The defendant admitted the indictment and apologised.
Oct 20, 2026 Afternoon - Taiwanese tourist found dead in Fujikawaguchiko hotel in Yamanashi; 27-year-old Taiwanese woman arrested
Japanese media including the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that hotel staff in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, found a female guest in her 30s, believed to be from Taiwan, lying dead in her room with apparent stab wounds at about 8 am on Oct 19, after she failed to appear at her tour group's meeting time. Police found a 27-year-old Taiwanese woman in the room holding a kitchen knife with a blade of about 12 cm and arrested her on suspicion of violating the Swords and Firearms Control Law; they are investigating the relationship between the two and how the woman died. The hotel is about 2 km north-east of Kawaguchiko Station.
Oct 20, 2026 Morning - Hankyu Hanshin department stores leak data of 1.26 million members; security firm says some Japan intrusions used Chinese AI
H2O Retailing, parent of Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores, said on Oct 19 that personal data of all 1.26 million H2O ID members was leaked, with no fraud use found so far. It detected unauthorised third-party access to the customer management system of the stores' reservation site on Oct 16 and shut it that day; on Oct 17 the HANKYU HANSHIN E-STORES online mall and the Remo Order service were also breached, leaking some order, credit card and point-card data, and the case was reported to the Personal Information Protection Commission and police. NHK reported hometown-tax site Furusato Choice also suspended service over a suspected intrusion, and a GMO Internet Group security subsidiary said it confirmed Chinese AI was used in some of the recent string of intrusions in Japan.
Oct 20, 2026 Morning - Japan lets Taiwanese list 'Taiwan' instead of 'China' on national professional licences from October
Japan's Taiwan-friendly lawmakers' league announced at a task force meeting in Tokyo on Oct 19 that since Oct 1 Taiwanese holders of Japanese national qualifications can apply to change their nationality listing from China to Taiwan, with the field renamed 'nationality, etc.' or 'nationality/region'. Japan has 322 national qualifications, about 100 of which include a nationality field. League head Keiji Furuya said about 70,000 Taiwanese in Japan have identity documents registered as China, and Japan already allows Taiwan on household registers; task force head Hirofumi Takinami said existing licence holders can apply to the relevant authority, such as local public health centres for medical licences, and asked that no deadline be set.
Oct 20, 2026 Morning - Follow-up: Japan's JAXA launches MMX probe on H3 rocket to bring back sample from Mars moon Phobos
JAXA's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) probe lifted off on H3 rocket No. 10 from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at 4:41 am Japan time on Oct 20 and separated from the rocket at 5:53 am, entering a trajectory to Mars. The roughly five-year round-trip mission will attempt the first sample return from a Martian moon, Phobos, to study the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. The Asahi Shimbun reported the mission costs about ¥55.3 billion.
Oct 20, 2026 Morning - Four-vehicle crash at Fujisawa intersection in Kanagawa injures 14, 1 in cardiac arrest
Around 9 am on Oct 19, a bus, a taxi and two cars collided at the Shirahata intersection in Fujisawa 3-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture. Firefighters said 14 people were taken to hospital — 11 from the bus and others from the cars — including 1 in cardiac arrest. Fujisawa police said one car first hit two vehicles including an oncoming taxi, then entered the intersection and struck the right rear of a bus crossing from left to right; the person in cardiac arrest was one of two people in that car.
Oct 19, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: PM Sanae Takaichi skips autumn Yasukuni festival visit, offers masakaki fee privately
Yasukuni Shrine's autumn festival ran Oct 17–19; Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had already offered a masakaki in the prime minister's name on Oct 17. NHK reported she decided not to visit during the festival and instead offered a ritual fee (tamagushi-ryō) privately via LDP General Council chair Kajiyama, who visited on Oct 19 and also offered in her capacity as party president. About 70 members of a cross-party group that visits Yasukuni together went on Oct 19, including Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Ibayashi from Takaichi's cabinet; LDP election strategy chief Nishimura also visited that day.
Oct 19, 2026 Afternoon - Follow-up: Typhoon Champi (No. 30) nears; Okinawa may see high waves from Oct 21, Taiwan sea warning possibly Wednesday
Large, 'very strong' Typhoon Champi (No. 30) intensified rapidly earlier. NHK said it is still far south of Japan, is forecast to enter waters south of Okinawa later this week, and Okinawa Prefecture may see high waves from Oct 21, though the later track remains uncertain. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said on Oct 18 a sea warning could come as early as the evening of Oct 21 (Wednesday), with a land warning possible on the evening of Oct 22 or on Oct 23; impact would peak on Oct 23–24 with heavy rain for northern and central Taiwan plus Yilan and Hualien in the east. As of 2 pm on Oct 18 the storm was about 2,470 km east-southeast of Eluanbi, moving west-northwest at 20 km/h, with maximum near-centre winds of 191 km/h and a 200 km storm radius; some models show a possible landfall on Taiwan's east coast.
Oct 19, 2026 Afternoon - Takaichi: food consumption-tax cut funding to be reviewed on spending and revenue; 'not ruling out' JGBs
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told the Upper House Budget Committee on Oct 19 that funding for a food consumption-tax cut would be reviewed on both spending and revenue sides, with careful calculation of a feasible fiscal scale. Asahi Shimbun reported she said she was 'not ruling out' issuing government bonds, while also saying overall budget bond issuance would be kept appropriately in check.
Oct 19, 2026 Afternoon - BOJ Governor Ueda: underlying inflation 'quite close' to 2% target
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda told the Diet on Oct 19 that underlying inflation is already 'quite close' to the bank's 2% goal, with strong global AI demand adding price pressure beyond a tight labour market. He said Middle East conflict had raised commodity costs, while a tight labour market and mild recovery brought demand-pull price pressure, and 'very strong global AI demand' was lifting capital spending and exports and thus many goods prices. He also said raising rates at an appropriate pace would help avoid a spike in bond yields. The bank holds a policy meeting later this month and will publish new growth and inflation forecasts.
Oct 19, 2026 Afternoon - Hon Hai to take 50% of Mitsubishi Electric Mobility for ¥115 billion in EV and autonomy tie-up
Mitsubishi Electric said on Oct 19 it would let Taiwan contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision take a stake in wholly owned subsidiary Mitsubishi Electric Mobility for cooperation on electric vehicles and autonomous driving. Mitsubishi Electric will transfer 50% of the unit to Hon Hai for ¥115 billion by October 2027, after which each will hold half and the unit will leave Mitsubishi Electric's consolidated accounts. Vice-president Kunihiko Kaga told a Tokyo press conference the goal is ¥1 trillion in sales by fiscal 2030; Hon Hai EV chief strategy officer Jun Seki said Mitsubishi's electronic-control and software strengths would complement Hon Hai.
Oct 19, 2026 Afternoon - Kyodo poll: Japan PM Sanae Takaichi's cabinet approval falls below 50%, lowest since taking office
A Kyodo News poll conducted Oct 17–18 put Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet approval at 49.1%, the lowest since she took office last October. The drop may be linked to slow handling of the case of farm minister Kazuo Yana, criticised for saying he would cut road funding to municipalities that did not support him, who resigned on Oct 14. 57.7% of respondents said his replacement came 'too late', and 81.5% said his resignation was warranted.
Oct 19, 2026 Morning - Japan-US Keen Sword 27, largest ever, begins as South Korea starts Hoguk drills
The Japan-US Keen Sword 27 joint exercise, seen as a rehearsal for defending Japan's southwestern islands, begins on Oct 19 at its largest scale yet, with about 45,000 Self-Defense Forces personnel and 12,000 US troops, the Japan Times reports. Japan is deploying its longer-range Type 25 surface-to-ship missiles outside their Kumamoto base for the first time, and the US is sending an advanced anti-ship missile system to Yonaguni Island in Okinawa, about 110 km from Taiwan. South Korea's large-scale Hoguk field exercise also runs Oct 19–30, including some South Korea-US drills postponed from August's Ulchi Freedom Shield.
Oct 19, 2026 Morning - Japan's JAXA set to launch MMX Martian moon sample-return probe on Oct 20
JAXA said the H3 rocket carrying the MMX probe is scheduled to launch from the Tanegashima Space Center at 4:41 am Japan time on Oct 20. MMX aims to collect samples from a moon of Mars and return them to Earth, the first round trip to the Martian system, which could shed light on the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. The mission involves US and European space agencies as well as universities and companies.
Oct 19, 2026 Morning