News archive
Past daily articles for learners.
- travel
Autumn leaves will run late this year: Tokyo's maples peak around November 29
Japan Meteorological Corporation released its first autumn-foliage forecast for this year on September 2, covering about 700 famous viewing spots nationwide plus about 3,000 mountains with elevation-by-elevation timing. Because autumn temperatures are expected to stay above average, peak colour should arrive at the usual time or later almost everywhere; parts of Sapporo and Nagano may be more than nine days late. In the big cities the peak is very late: maples in Tokyo around November 29 and in Osaka around December 4. Weathernews also sees eastern Japan running late, but expects more vivid colour than last year because there has been enough sunshine and rain. If you are planning a leaf-viewing trip, remember that Hokkaido and high mountains turn first, from September, while cities turn last, and check the latest forecast again before you book a hotel or train ticket.
N5N4N3N2N1 - government
Japan's new Disaster Management Agency launches November 2
Japan's cabinet decided on September 25 that a new Disaster Management Agency (Bosai-cho) will launch on November 2, 2026. It expands the Cabinet Office's disaster prevention section into a permanent body placed directly under the Cabinet, acting as a single command center that covers preparation in normal times, emergency response, and recovery and reconstruction. Staff are set to grow from roughly 220 to about 350, the disaster management minister gains the power to issue recommendations to other ministries, and regional bases are under consideration from 2027. Nothing changes for residents day to day: call 119 in an emergency, and evacuation orders still come from your city, ward, town or village. It is a good moment to check your local hazard map, your evacuation route, and your emergency kit.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Strong Typhoon No. 26 closes in on Okinawa from Sept 27 — slow movement may stretch out the storm and power cuts
Typhoon No. 26 (Surigae) is drifting slowly north over the sea south of Okinawa. The Japan Meteorological Agency expects it to come very close to the Okinawa region from Sunday, September 27, and to strengthen further into September 28, when maximum instantaneous winds near the centre could reach about 60 metres per second. Besides violent wind, the region faces warning-level high waves and storm surge, plus heavy rain that can bring flooding and landslides. Because the storm is moving slowly, rough weather may last a long time and any power cut could be a long one. Finish preparing on Friday, September 26: charge power banks, store drinking water and food, and move loose outdoor items indoors. The typhoon is then expected to turn east and pass south of Honshu, so keep checking the latest forecasts.
N5N4N3N2N1 - travel
Japan's tax-free shopping becomes a refund system on November 1 — pay the tax first, claim it back at the airport
From November 1, 2026, tax-free shopping for foreign visitors to Japan switches to a refund system. Instead of a tax-free price at the register, you pay the full tax-included price in the shop and get the consumption tax back after customs confirms at departure that the goods are leaving Japan with you. The conditions are 5,000 yen or more (before tax) at the same shop on the same day, and departure within 90 days of the purchase. At the airport, scan your passport at the customs terminal in the international departure lobby before you check in — the items must still be with you, not inside checked baggage, so allow extra time. In return, the old split between general goods and consumables disappears, along with the sealed packaging for food and cosmetics and the 500,000 yen cap. The refund is paid by the shop or by an approved refund operator.
N5N4N3N2N1 - society
Japan's national crime-prevention campaign runs October 11-20: phone fraud, shady job ads and neighbourhood watch
The National Police Agency says this year's National Community Safety Campaign will run for ten days, from October 11 to 20, with prefectural police and local crime-prevention associations taking part nationwide. Three priorities are set for the whole country. The first is preventing 'tokushu sagi' — fraud carried out by phone or by impersonation — and police are encouraging households that never make international calls to have that service suspended on their landline, as well as promoting the apps the agency recommends. The second is strengthening neighbourhood crime prevention: awareness of people scoping out homes, watch activities run by a wider mix of residents, crime-prevention education, and security cameras. The third targets recruitment into crime, the so-called 'dark part-time jobs' advertised online: police will step up warnings to young people, reach out to those who have already replied to such ads, and work to stop the ads spreading. October 11 is also Japan's Safe and Secure Town-Building Day, designated by a cabinet-level crime policy meeting in December 2005. Two practical steps for residents: treat any job ad promising easy work for unusually high pay as a warning sign, and consider suspending international calling on a landline you never use for it.
N5N4N3N2N1 - economy
Japan's liquor tax unifies on October 1: beer gets cheaper, happoshu and chuhai get pricier
On October 1, Japan completes a three-step overhaul of its liquor tax that began with the 2018 revision of the Liquor Tax Act. Beer, happoshu and "new genre" (third-category) beer-style drinks will all be taxed at the same rate: 155,000 yen per kilolitre, or 54.25 yen per 350ml. That means beer's tax falls by 9.10 yen a can (from 63.35 yen), while happoshu and new genre rise by 7.26 yen (from 46.99 yen). Canned chuhai and other sparkling liquors go up from 28 yen to 35 yen per 350ml. The earlier steps came in October 2020 and October 2023, and the aim is to tax drinks made in similar ways at similar rates. Shelf prices, though, are set by manufacturers and retailers, so they will not move by exactly the tax amount. Rather than panic-buying before the change, it is worth checking price tags from October and comparing what your usual drink actually costs.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
October is Japan's food loss reduction month: 4.61 million tonnes wasted in FY2024
In Japan, October is Food Loss Reduction Month and October 30 is Food Loss Reduction Day, both set by law. Government estimates published on June 30 put Japan's food loss for fiscal 2024 at about 4.61 million tonnes, 30,000 tonnes less than the year before: 2.37 million tonnes from businesses (up) and 2.24 million tonnes from households (down). On September 10 the Consumer Affairs Agency released this year's food loss reduction guidebook. Its household advice is simple: check the fridge before you shop, buy only what you can finish, and take items from the front of the shelf (temaedori). It also helps to read the two date labels correctly — shoumikigen is a best-quality guide, while shouhikigen is a safety deadline you should not eat past. Japan aims by fiscal 2030 to halve household food loss and cut business food loss by 60 percent from fiscal 2000 levels.
N5N4N3N2N1 - society
From October 1, part-timers in Japan must be told they can ask why their pay differs
Japan tightens its rules for part-time and fixed-term workers on October 1, 2026. From that date, when a company hires someone part-time or on a fixed-term contract, the written statement of working conditions must also say that the worker may ask for an explanation of how their treatment differs from regular (full-time permanent) employees — treatment meaning pay, bonuses, allowances and leave. The equal-pay-for-equal-work guidelines have also been revised in line with court rulings: family allowances, housing allowances and summer/winter leave should generally match those of regular staff in comparable situations. Employers are expected to explain any gap either verbally with supporting materials or in a clear written document, and asking for that explanation must not be held against you. If you work part-time in Japan, read the working-conditions notice you receive when you sign or renew a contract, and ask your employer or your local Labour Bureau if something is unclear.
N5N4N3N2N1 - economy
The Bank of Japan raises its policy rate to 1.25% — a 31-year high, and what it means for your savings and your loan
At its monetary policy meeting on September 18, 2026, the Bank of Japan decided to raise its policy interest rate by 0.25 percentage point to around 1.25% — the highest level since 1995, roughly 31 years. The nine-member policy board split 7-2; the two dissenters wanted rates left unchanged out of concern for the economy. The bank's stated aim is to contain the risk that prices overshoot expectations, as a weak yen and higher crude oil push up import costs. Coming only three months after the June increase, it is the shortest gap between hikes since the bank ended large-scale easing and negative interest rates in March 2024. Because Governor Kazuo Ueda gave no signal about when the next hike might come, the yen actually weakened after the announcement rather than strengthening. For people living in Japan the practical effects arrive gradually: banks are expected to lift deposit interest rates step by step, while variable-rate housing loans, card loans and business borrowing come under upward pressure. Variable mortgage rates are typically reviewed about every six months and take a few more months to show up in the monthly repayment, so check your own loan contract and any notice your bank sends rather than assuming your payment changes straight away.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Animal Welfare Week runs September 20-26 — dog registration, microchips, and keeping a pet for life
September 20 to 26 is Animal Welfare Week in Japan, a period written into the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals. The Ministry of the Environment works with local governments and animal organisations to run talks, poster competitions and hands-on festivals around the country. It is also a good moment for pet owners to check the paperwork Japan expects of them. A dog aged 91 days or older must be registered once at your city, ward, town or village office, which issues a licence tag, and must have a rabies vaccination every year; the tag and the vaccination tag are meant to stay on the dog. Dogs and cats sold by breeders and pet shops since June 2022 come with a microchip already fitted, and the new owner is required to switch the registration into their own name within 30 days — useful if the animal is ever lost or separated from you in a disaster. Fitting a chip to a pet you already own is encouraged but not compulsory. The core idea of the law is shusei shiyo: caring for an animal for its whole life. Abandoning one is a crime, punishable by up to a year of imprisonment or a fine of up to one million yen.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Autumn higan runs September 20-26 — graves, ohagi, and a five-day break
Japan's autumn higan week falls on Sunday, September 20 through Saturday, September 26 this year. Higan is the seven-day period centred on the autumnal equinox, when many families visit and clean their ancestors' graves and offer flowers and incense, and when supermarkets and wagashi shops fill up with ohagi, a sweet rice cake eaten at this time of year. The Cabinet Office holiday calendar puts Autumnal Equinox Day on Wednesday, September 23; with Respect for the Aged Day on Monday the 21st and a bridge public holiday on Tuesday the 22nd, many people have a five-day break from Saturday the 19th. Expect crowded cemeteries, temple car parks, expressways and flower shops. Banks, city offices and most public counters close on all three public holidays, so finish city-hall, residence or bank errands before the break. The old saying 'heat and cold last only until higan' marks this week as the turn towards autumn.
N5N4N3N2N1 - daily life
Large Typhoon No. 25 forms and may approach eastern Japan during the Silver Week holiday
The Japan Meteorological Agency says Typhoon No. 25, with the Asian name Dujuan, formed near the Mariana Islands at 9 p.m. on September 16 and is classified as large. As of 3 a.m. on September 17 its central pressure was 996 hectopascals, with maximum sustained winds near the centre of 20 metres per second and gusts to 30 metres per second. It is expected to pass near the Ogasawara Islands on September 18-19 and then track north over the sea south of Japan, possibly approaching Kanto and other parts of eastern Japan during the Silver Week five-day holiday from September 19 to 23. The forecast circle for the later days is still wide, so the track can still shift east or west. If you are travelling over the holiday, check the JMA typhoon page daily, allow for flight and limited-express train cancellations or delays, and watch for heavy rain, strong wind and high waves along the Pacific coast.
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