News archive
Past daily articles for learners.
- government
Data leaks keep hitting Japanese companies: the government holds an emergency cybersecurity meeting tonight
After a run of cyberattacks on Japanese companies that leaked large amounts of personal data, the government is holding a ministerial meeting on cybersecurity at the Prime Minister's Office at 6 p.m. on October 26. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said secondary damage from misused leaked data is already happening, so countermeasures are urgent. Prime Minister Takaichi will attend and is expected to order emergency measures, including closer cooperation between ministries. For residents, the practical takeaway: leaked names, addresses and emails are often reused in scam messages, so don't tap links in unexpected emails or SMS, never enter passwords from a message link, and use different passwords for different services.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Sunset comes before 5 p.m. now: Japan's police warn of dusk pedestrian accidents through December
Sunsets in Japan keep getting earlier: in Tokyo the sun now sets before 5 p.m., and by early December it will set around 4:30 p.m., the earliest of the year. National Police Agency analysis shows that from October to December, fatal accidents involving pedestrians cluster in the dusk hours around sunset, when the evening commute overlaps with fading light and drivers are slow to switch on their headlights. Police ask drivers to turn on their lights well before sunset, and ask pedestrians and cyclists to wear reflectors or bright clothing and cross at pedestrian crossings rather than taking shortcuts.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Norovirus season is starting in Japan: alcohol gel is not enough, so wash with soap and cook shellfish through
Food poisoning from norovirus in Japan usually starts rising around November and peaks in winter. According to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, even a tiny amount of the virus can make you sick, causing sudden nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and alcohol hand sanitizer does not work well against it. The ministry says careful handwashing with soap and running water is the basic defense. Oysters and other bivalve shellfish should be heated until the center reaches 85–90°C for at least 90 seconds. To clean up vomit or disinfect cooking tools, use diluted chlorine-based bleach (sodium hypochlorite) rather than alcohol. If symptoms are severe or you cannot keep fluids down, see a doctor.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Japan's 80th Reading Week runs Oct 27–Nov 9: your local library card is usually free
Japan's annual Reading Week (Dokusho Shukan) runs from October 27 to November 9, 2026, the two weeks around Culture Day, a national holiday on November 3. The campaign began in 1947, shortly after the war, with the hope of building a peaceful, cultured nation through reading, and this year is the 80th. October 27 is also the Day of Letters and Print Culture. Libraries and bookstores across Japan hold related events during the period. Public libraries are free to use, and people who live in the area can usually register for a library card by showing a residence card or other ID with their address. Many libraries also have books in foreign languages and picture books, so check what your local library offers.
N5N4N3N2N1 - travel
Kyoto's Jidai Matsuri is today: about 2,000 people walk through 1,000 years of history in costume
Kyoto's Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages), one of the city's three great festivals, is held on October 22, 2026. The festival of Heian Jingu Shrine began in 1895 to mark 1,100 years since the capital moved to Kyoto. About 2,000 people dressed in clothing from eight historical periods walk in a procession that goes back in time, from the Meiji Restoration to the Heian period. The procession leaves the Kyoto Imperial Palace at noon and travels about 4.6 km to Heian Jingu; the head of the line is expected to arrive around 2:30 p.m., and the whole procession takes over two hours to pass. Watching from the roadside is free, and paid viewing seats are also available. If it rains, the festival moves to October 23 (decided early that morning). Roads along the route are restricted, so use trains or the subway.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Japan's autumn fire prevention week runs Nov 9–15: home fires topped 10,000, so test your smoke alarm
Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency will hold its nationwide autumn fire prevention campaign from November 9 to 15, 2026, under this year's slogan "Check your fire: a good habit that supports good days." The agency says home fires have been rising since 2021, and preliminary figures put 2025 above 10,000. A key aim is reducing deaths, most of which are among older people. Residential smoke/fire alarms are required in every home in Japan, but dead batteries or faults can stop them working. Press the test button (or pull the cord) regularly, and replace units roughly 10 years after installation. November 9 is also "119 Day" — in a fire, call 119.
N5N4N3N2N1 - society
Shichi-Go-San falls on Sunday, November 15 this year: what the children's festival is and shrine-visit tips
Shichi-Go-San ("Seven-Five-Three") is a traditional Japanese celebration of children's healthy growth, held around November 15. Boys usually take part at ages 3 and 5 and girls at ages 3 and 7. Families visit a Shinto shrine, children often wear kimono or other formal clothes, and they receive chitose-ame, a long, thin candy that stands for a wish for long life. In 2026, November 15 falls on a Sunday, so shrines are likely to be busy that day, and many families instead go on a convenient weekend in October or November. If you go, follow the shrine's manners and take care not to photograph other families' children.
N5N4N3N2N1 - society
Foreign residents in Japan reach a new record of 4.28 million at the end of June
Japan's foreign resident population has set another record. The Ministry of Justice announced on October 16 that 4,281,026 foreign nationals were living in Japan at the end of June 2026, up 3.8% (about 160,000 people) in just six months since the end of 2025. Foreign residents now make up about 3.5% of the total population. China remains the largest group with about 941,000 people, followed by Vietnam, South Korea, the Philippines and Nepal. The justice minister said the government will continue strict but smooth immigration control. A practical reminder for residents: if you move, report your new address at your city or ward office within 14 days.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Switching your heater back on? Japan's product-safety agency NITE says check these "4+1" points first — heater accidents peak in December
As mornings and evenings get colder, many homes in Japan are taking out heaters again. NITE, the government's product-safety agency, warns that heater accidents rise from around November and peak in December. In the five years from 2020 to 2024 it received 596 reports of heater accidents; electric and kerosene heaters made up about 80%, and most of the accidents each year were fires. Before using a heater, NITE says to check: (electric) that the cord and plug aren't damaged and you aren't overloading the outlet, that the unit isn't discolored or warped, that the tip-over shut-off works, and that the model isn't under a recall; (kerosene) remove dust, test the earthquake auto shut-off, never use last season's leftover kerosene, and make sure the tank cap is closed tightly. The "+1": keep heaters well away from walls and anything flammable, and don't dry laundry near them. You can check recalls on NITE's SAFE-Lite search site.
N5N4N3N2N1 - travel
Nabana no Sato's giant winter illumination opens October 17 and runs until May 31 — buy tickets ahead for December 23–25
Winter illumination season is starting in Japan. Nabana no Sato, a flower park in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, switches on one of the country's largest light displays on October 17, 2026, and it will run until May 31, 2027 — about seven months. The park is known for its "tunnel of light" and for light shows that use water, and the lights come on after dark, with hours that change by season. Around Christmas (December 23–25) visitors need to buy tickets in advance, so check the official website before you go. Evenings are getting colder, so dress warmly.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
New Year's cards for 2027 go on sale November 2 — post them by December 27 to arrive on New Year's Day
Japan Post will start selling 2027 New Year's postcards (nengajō) on November 2 at post offices nationwide. A plain card costs 85 yen, and sales now run until January 15, later than the usual cutoff of around January 10. Because many people post their cards late, Japan Post will start accepting New Year's cards on December 20, and the recommended posting date for New Year's Day delivery moves from December 25 to December 27. The initial print run is about 556 million cards, down 25.7% from last year and the 16th straight annual drop. If you want to send greetings to coworkers, neighbors or friends in Japan, buy cards from November 2 and post them by December 27.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Wild mushroom poisoning peaks in September and October: if you can't identify it, don't pick or eat it
Autumn is mushroom-hunting season in Japan, and it is also when most poisonings from wild mushrooms happen. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 546 people were poisoned by toxic wild mushrooms from 2016 to 2024, and 419 of them, about 8 in 10, fell ill in September or October. The most common cause is tsukiyotake, which accounts for more than half of patients and looks very similar to edible mushrooms such as shiitake, hiratake (oyster mushroom) and mukitake. Folk tests like "mushrooms that tear lengthwise are safe" are unreliable, cooking does not remove the toxins, and some cases in recent years have been fatal. The government's advice: if you cannot identify a mushroom with certainty, don't pick it, eat it, sell it or give it to anyone. If you feel sick after eating wild mushrooms, see a doctor right away.
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