Fifteen stories that remained timely, consequential and verifiable after selection of the 15 main stories. Weak, repetitive or insufficiently sourced candidates were left out.
Minoru Yasui took over as Chubu Electric Power president on October 1 and immediately visited municipalities around the Hamaoka nuclear plant, apologizing for misconduct involving seismic data and pledging a fundamental governance rebuild. With the restart applications withdrawn, restoring local and regulatory trust is now central to the utility’s strategy.
Japan’s manufacturing sector remained in expansion in September, but growth slowed to its weakest pace in six months as output and new-order momentum softened. The contrast with stronger AI-driven manufacturing elsewhere in Asia highlights an uneven industrial recovery.
Park24 said unauthorized access to Times Car systems exposed information tied to about 6.6 million accounts, including names, addresses and driver’s-license information; identity-verification images were also affected. The company says credit-card data has not been confirmed leaked and the financial impact remains under review.
An international team including the University of Tokyo created monolayer boron carbon nitride that operates as a p-type semiconductor across a two-inch wafer. Uniform performance across 224 transistors addresses a major materials bottleneck for future complementary and three-dimensional integrated electronics.
Kyoto University Hospital researchers analyzed the incidence and risk factors for hypogammaglobulinemia after CD19 CAR-T therapy. As CAR-T use expands in difficult blood cancers, understanding prolonged antibody deficiency is important for infection prevention and long-term follow-up.
Nagoya University and Meijo Nano Carbon developed a catalyst that wraps platinum nanoparticles in nitrogen-doped few-layer graphene on single-wall carbon nanotubes. In membrane-electrode tests, it retained 96.9% of catalyst surface area after 30,000 cycles, pointing toward longer-lived fuel cells.
Hitachiomiya Mayor Sadayuki Suzuki said the Ibaraki city will accept the literature-survey stage of Japan’s high-level radioactive-waste repository selection process. Japan still lacks a final geological disposal site, making each new municipality’s participation nationally significant.
Tokyo says litter has become a growing problem in some entertainment and tourist districts including Shinjuku and Shibuya, prompting a citywide cleanup initiative and a formal review of stronger measures. More than half of surveyed local governments reported waste problems linked to rising tourist numbers.
Central Tokyo endured more than a month of consecutive rainy days, setting a record-length streak and sharply reducing sunshine. The prolonged wet spell has affected crops, produce prices and everyday activity, turning a weather record into a broader urban and agricultural story.
Kei Nishikori ended his professional career at the Japan Open, losing in straight sets to Frances Tiafoe. The former world No. 4 won 12 ATP titles and became the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final, reshaping expectations for Japanese men’s tennis.
Hayato Kondo won the men’s 60-kilogram judo title while his younger sister Mitsuki took the women’s 48-kg gold on the same day. Their double victory became one of the host nation’s standout judo moments at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Asuma Nakai successfully defended his Asian Games BMX racing title, with fellow Japanese rider Hyoga Kiuchi taking silver, while Sae Hatakeyama became Japan’s first women’s BMX racing gold medalist at the Games. The results underline Japan’s growing depth in Olympic cycling disciplines.
A joint project by Eisei Bunko Museum and Waseda University’s Aizu Museum opens October 3 with a first installment centered on Hakuin Ekaku. Eisei Bunko holds more than 300 of Hakuin’s paintings and calligraphic works, collected largely by founder Hosokawa Moritatsu.
An exhibition opening October 3 traces how Finnish design house Marimekko turned bold printed patterns into fashion, interiors and everyday objects after its 1951 founding. The display places Nordic print design inside the Art Deco former Prince Asaka residence.
Tokyo Fuji Art Museum opens a major Sue ware exhibition on October 3, covering roughly 500 years from the Kofun through Heian periods. The show emphasizes how ceramic technology brought through exchange with the Korean peninsula helped open the way for later Japanese ceramic production.
