A special train designed to resemble a park filled with greenery ran on Tokyu lines in Tokyo, transforming the interior of an ordinary carriage into a lush, nature-themed space. (News On Japan)

A shortage of domestically produced lacquer, essential for restoring Japan’s cultural properties, has reached a critical point. For centuries, lacquer—or urushi—has been integral to traditional crafts and national treasures, but production has fallen sharply. (News On Japan)

Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and other researchers have discovered that female saw-toothed grain beetles cultivate fungi in a special organ on their hind legs, using it to coat their eggs with protective fungal filaments that block parasitic wasps from laying their own eggs inside. (News On Japan)

The Budget Committee of the House of Representatives opened on November 7th, with Prime Minister Takaichi facing her first full-scale debate since taking office. (News On Japan)

A special nighttime viewing has begun at Eikando, one of Kyoto’s most famous spots for autumn foliage, where visitors can now enjoy a breathtaking illumination of maple trees. (News On Japan)

A 1.2-meter bear was shot and killed just before noon on November 8th at a hot spring inn in Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, after entering the building overnight and causing extensive damage. (News On Japan)

A 27-year-old elementary school teacher in Bizen, Okayama Prefecture, who became the seventh suspect arrested in a voyeurism scandal involving a group of educators, has retracted his earlier confession and now denies filming any illicit footage. (News On Japan)

The Niseko area at the foot of Mount Yotei, about a two-hour drive from Sapporo, is now in the spotlight once again as one of Japan’s top resort destinations prepares for the peak ski season. Fueled by surging inbound demand, construction of hotels and leisure facilities is rapidly expanding across the region—but local residents are increasingly alarmed by the rise in illegal land development and unauthorized building extensions. (News On Japan)

Nighttime offers a completely different perspective on the cityscape. From shimmering lights reflecting on riverbanks to quiet streets revealing hidden cafes and bars, traveling at night can be both magical and practical. (News On Japan)

Traveling with family can be a rewarding adventure, but it often comes with unique challenges. Balancing entertainment, comfort, and convenience is key to creating memorable trips for all ages. (News On Japan)

Passenger traffic at Fukuoka Airport reached an all-time high in the first half of the current fiscal year, marking a strong rebound in both domestic and international travel and putting the airport on track to post its first profit since being privatized in 2019. (News On Japan)

Autumn foliage has reached its peak along the Hida-Mino Seseragi Highway, which connects Takayama City and Gujo City in Gifu Prefecture. (News On Japan)

A mass food poisoning incident has been confirmed at a high school dormitory in Shiraoi, a town in Hokkaido’s Iburi region, where 63 students suffered symptoms such as diarrhea and stomach pain after eating meals prepared at the facility. (News On Japan)

As snow approaches, auto supply stores in Sapporo are entering their busiest period of tire changes. (News On Japan)

A power outage that halted operations on the Sapporo Municipal Subway on November 3rd was caused by an aluminum-coated balloon. Investigations have revealed that similar troubles have occurred across various transportation systems in Japan. (News On Japan)

The National Police Agency announced on November 6th that it has revised the National Public Safety Commission regulations to allow police officers to use rifles for bear control. The amendment will take effect on November 13th. (News On Japan)

The Grand Egyptian Museum, which opened on November 1st near the Giza Pyramids outside Cairo, marks one of Egypt’s most ambitious cultural projects in decades—built with extensive Japanese financial and technical support totaling about 84.2 billion yen in yen loans. (News On Japan)

Around 1,200 investors have filed a class-action lawsuit with the Osaka District Court seeking the return of more than 11.4 billion yen from the real estate fund “Minna de Ooya-san,” which has been delaying distribution payments to its investors. (News On Japan)

A 51-year-old man has been arrested for forcing a 12-year-old Thai girl to work illegally at a private massage parlor in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward, in what police believe may be part of a human trafficking operation. (News On Japan)

Archaeologists have uncovered new details about the remains of an ancient building in Nara Prefecture’s Asuka area, believed to have been used by emperors for imperial ceremonies more than 1,300 years ago. (News On Japan)