Photo Index

The Emperor and Empress with their daughter, Princess Aiko, right, in a file photo. The revised Imperial House Law, under which women of the imperial family will keep their status after marriage and male descendants of the former branch families may be adopted, takes effect on Saturday, and on Friday the Cabinet approved the princess's official visit to Singapore from November 17 to 21.

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Typhoon No. 30, Champi, at 3 p.m. on Friday and its forecast track, in the map supplied for this edition: a large, very strong typhoon about 80 km south-south-east of Yonaguni at 23.8N, 123.3E, moving north-north-west at 20 km/h, with a central pressure of 950 hPa and maximum winds of 45 m/s, gusting to 60. Storm-force winds extend 330 km to the north and 280 km to the south; gale-force winds 850 km to the north-east and 600 km to the south-west. It is forecast to slow and turn west tonight, still at 950 hPa about 70 km west-south-west of Yonaguni at 3 a.m. Saturday, then turn north: about 200 km north of Yonaguni by 3 p.m. Saturday as a strong typhoon of 975 hPa; a severe tropical storm of 990 hPa over the East China Sea by Sunday afternoon; a tropical storm of 996 hPa west of Kyushu by Monday afternoon, its centre line passing about 30 km north of Kagoshima that evening; and an extratropical low of 1,004 hPa near the Izu Islands, about 350 km south of Tokyo, by Tuesday afternoon. At 3 p.m. Yonaguni, Ishigaki, Miyakojima and Taipei are inside the storm-force winds and Naha is in the gale area; by 3 p.m. Saturday the area that could have storm winds stays about 170 km from Naha. Each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the solid outline encloses the area that could have storm-force winds during the forecast period. The line to the south-east is the track so far, with circles at 9 a.m. each day. A new tropical depression near the Marshall Islands lies off the map to the east.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. The Liberal Democrats have offered to cut 31 proportional representation seats from the lower house rather than 45, and Komeito decided on Friday to move towards opposing the plan.

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A news conference in the press room of the Prime Minister's Office, in a file photo. The Cabinet approved bills on Friday requiring permission for land purchases near Self-Defense Force bases and requiring companies to report their beneficial owners.

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Riot police and protesters in a haze of tear gas on a Paris street, in a file image. President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that demonstrations not organised by labour unions would be restricted for several days, a week after the riots began.

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A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in orbit above the Earth. SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, also runs the Starlink satellite network, whose service for Ukraine's forces President Donald Trump said on Thursday had been restored.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average fell more than 1,400 yen on Friday morning before ending 214.68 yen lower at 62,693.16, after losing 1,713.40 yen on Thursday.

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An ANA Boeing 787 in flight, in a file image. ANA Holdings is considering investing more in Regional Plus Wings, the holding company of AIRDO and Solaseed Air, possibly making it a subsidiary.

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The TV Asahi logo on the broadcaster's building in Tokyo, in a file photo. Investors linked to the former Murakami Fund hold about 5 per cent of TV Asahi Holdings and have proposed measures including a delisting, the Asahi Shimbun reported.

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A Capcom building with the company's name on its roof, in a file photo. The game maker said on Thursday that about 11.77 million CAPCOM ID email addresses had leaked.

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The OpenAI logo. The company said security firms had used generative AI, including its GPT-5.6 model, to find the PHP flaws, and predicted that similar discoveries would surge.

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Princess Aiko, in a file photo. The Cabinet approved on Friday her official visit to Singapore from November 17 to 21, her second official trip abroad, marking 60 years of diplomatic relations.

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A Nozomi train on the Tokaido Shinkansen, which will run an average of 390 trains a day this winter and as many as 449 over the New Year holidays.

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The Yomiuri Giants' list of players chosen in Thursday's draft, headed by the Yokohama High School pitcher Shoki Oda, in an English-language image supplied for this edition; some readings of names in the image may differ from the official ones. The club named Hideki Matsui as its manager on Friday.

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SoftBank Hawks players celebrate a title, in a file photo. The Pacific League champions open the Japan Series against DeNA at Yokohama Stadium on Saturday.

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The emblem of the 5th Asian Para Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, which close on Saturday.

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Japan weather, Friday, October 23, 2026: the sky and the highs and lows observed during the day for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Friday, October 23, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service Selected Cities forecast issued at 8:50 p.m. EDT on Thursday, with lows for Thursday night into Friday morning; zone forecasts issued on Thursday and early Friday; gridded forecast highs at 9 p.m. EDT on Thursday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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An illustration of the remote code execution risk in PHP and the four fixed versions, 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36 and 8.2.35, released at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Japan time. The code and the descriptions of the two flaws on the illustration are illustrative: according to the PHP security advisory, CVE-2026-109618 involves out-of-memory handling and CVE-2026-109619 state left over between requests.

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Typhoon No. 30, Champi, at 6 a.m. on Thursday and its forecast track, in the map supplied for this edition: a large, violent typhoon south of Okinawa at 20.2N, 126.5E, moving north-west at 20 km/h, with a central pressure of 905 hPa and maximum winds of 55 m/s, gusting to 80. Storm-force winds extend 280 km to the north-east and 220 km to the south-west; gale-force winds 650 km to the north-east and 500 km to the south-west. It is forecast to weaken to a very strong typhoon of 925 hPa by 6 p.m. Thursday, to be about 290 km south-south-east of Yonaguni at 6 a.m. Friday at 940 hPa, and about 70 km west-south-west of Yonaguni at 3 a.m. Saturday as a strong typhoon of 965 hPa; then a severe tropical storm over the East China Sea by 3 a.m. Sunday, a tropical storm by 3 a.m. Monday, passing about 50 km north-north-west of Fukuoka on the centre line that morning, and an extratropical low of 1,004 hPa over the Sea of Japan by 3 a.m. Tuesday. Ishigaki, Miyakojima and Yonaguni are inside the area that could have storm winds by 6 a.m. Friday, and Taipei by 3 a.m. Saturday. Each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the solid outline encloses the area that could have storm-force winds during the forecast period. The line to the east is the track since the storm formed, with circles at 9 a.m. each day.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at a podium, in a file photo. On the first anniversary of her government on Wednesday she said that delivering on her pledges one by one was her mission.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers questions in the Diet, in a file photo. Opposition lawmakers are pressing the government for figures on its food tax cut and the income-linked benefit meant to follow it.

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President Emmanuel Macron of France, in a file photo. Speaking in Qatar on Wednesday, he said any new acts of violence would be stopped, as France's 10-year borrowing costs rose above 5 per cent for the first time since 2002.

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A news conference in the press room of the Prime Minister's Office, in a file photo. The government is demanding the release of the Hokkaido Shimbun reporter detained in Russia and access for Japanese diplomats.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average rose 545.82 yen on Wednesday to 64,621.24 as hopes of an end to the fighting between the United States and Iran cooled oil prices.

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An H3 rocket lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center, in a file photo. The tenth H3 launched the MMX probe on Tuesday, and JAXA said on Wednesday that the probe's power, attitude control and communications were all working normally.

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People shade themselves with parasols near the Kaminarimon gate in Asakusa, Tokyo, at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, when central Tokyo had its latest 30-degree day since records began in 1875. The inset map, which is part of the image, shows surface temperatures and the warm, humid air flowing in from the Pacific; the readings reported by the weather agency and forecasters are given in the report below.

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Hanshin's Teruaki Sato, right, with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, in a file photo taken at the Tokyo Dome in March 2025, when the Tigers played the Dodgers in an exhibition game. On Wednesday Sato thanked the club and its fans as he prepares to move to the major leagues.

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SoftBank Hawks players celebrate a title, in a file photo. The Pacific League champions open the Japan Series against DeNA at Yokohama Stadium on Saturday.

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The emblem of the 5th Asian Para Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, which run until Saturday.

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Japan weather, Thursday, October 22, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Thursday, October 22, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service Selected Cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, with lows for Wednesday night into Thursday morning; zone forecasts issued on Wednesday; gridded forecast highs at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday; Josephine from the National Hurricane Center advisory at 5 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a podium, in a file photo. She marks one year in office on Wednesday, with a 352-seat coalition behind her in the lower house and the food tax cut before the Diet.

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Typhoon No. 30, Champi, at 6 a.m. on Wednesday and its forecast track, in the map supplied for this edition: a large, violent typhoon east of the Philippines at 17.6N, 130.9E, moving west-north-west at 25 km/h, with a central pressure of 900 hPa and maximum winds of 60 m/s, gusting to 85. Storm-force winds extend 280 km to the north-east and 220 km to the south-west; gale-force winds 650 km to the north-east and 500 km to the south-west. It is forecast to stay violent near 900 hPa into Thursday and then to weaken, passing about 30 km west of Yonaguni before dawn on Saturday as a strong typhoon of 965 hPa, becoming a severe tropical storm over the East China Sea by 3 a.m. Sunday and a tropical storm near Tsushima, about 210 km west of Fukuoka, by 3 a.m. Monday. Ishigaki and Miyakojima are inside the area that could have storm winds by 3 a.m. Friday, and Yonaguni and Taipei by 3 a.m. Saturday. Each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the solid outline encloses the area that could have storm-force winds during the forecast period.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks in the Diet, in a file photo. The House of Representatives began debating her bill to cut the consumption tax on food to 1 per cent for two years on Tuesday.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who marks a year in office on Wednesday, greets a visitor, in a file photo.

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Riot police and protesters in a haze of tear gas on a Paris street, in a file image. France passed Monday night without major incidents under curfews, and Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said more would be imposed wherever they were needed.

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A news conference in the press room of the Prime Minister's Office, in a file photo. The government said on Tuesday that Russia's refusal to let Japanese diplomats see the detained Hokkaido Shimbun reporter was 'extremely regrettable.'

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average fell 841.28 yen on Tuesday to 64,075.42 as chip stocks slid on doubts about the AI boom and a jump in oil prices added to the gloom.

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An illustration of teppay, the code-payment service that JR East added to its Mobile Suica smartphone app on Tuesday, in a file image.

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An artist's impression of the MMX probe with Mars and its moon Phobos, in a file image; the timeline printed on the image is part of the illustration. JAXA plans for MMX to enter orbit around Mars in August 2027 and to bring samples from Phobos back to Earth in July 2031.

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A sign warning of bears, in Japanese and English, in a file image. The Environment Ministry has chosen 11 local governments, from Noboribetsu in Hokkaido to the village of Shinjo in Okayama Prefecture, for a project in which experts will help them prepare for bears.

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A Nozomi train on the Tokaido Shinkansen, which carries many of Kyoto's visitors to the city. Kyoto plans to charge non-residents 360 yen and residents 200 yen on its city buses from fiscal 2027.

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Shugo Maki of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, in a file photo. Maki, who homered in the Climax Series, took part in batting practice at Yokohama Stadium on Tuesday as DeNA prepared for the Japan Series against SoftBank, which opens there on Saturday.

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Japan weather, Wednesday, October 21, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Wednesday, October 21, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service Selected Cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, with lows for Tuesday night into Wednesday morning; zone forecasts issued on Tuesday; gridded forecast highs at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Tuesday; the position of the low from the Ocean Prediction Center forecast issued at 6:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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An H3 rocket lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, in a file photo. The tenth H3, carrying the MMX probe to the moons of Mars, left the same launch site at 4:41 a.m. on Tuesday, and JAXA declared the launch a success.

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Typhoon No. 30, Champi, at 6 a.m. on Tuesday and its forecast track, in the map supplied for this edition: a large, violent typhoon east of the Philippines at 15.7N, 136.2E, moving west-north-west at 20 km/h, with a central pressure of 935 hPa and maximum winds of 55 m/s, gusting to 75. Storm-force winds extend 150 km all around; gale-force winds 650 km to the east and 500 km to the west. It is forecast to deepen to 925 hPa by 6 p.m. Tuesday and to stay violent until early Thursday, then to weaken, passing south of the Sakishima Islands on Friday and close to eastern Taiwan early on Saturday, when its forecast position at 3 a.m. is about 620 km west-south-west of Naha, and to be a severe tropical storm over the East China Sea by 3 a.m. Sunday. Ishigaki, Miyakojima and Yonaguni are inside the area that could have storm winds by 3 a.m. Friday. Each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the solid outline encloses the area that could have storm-force winds during the forecast period.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks in the Diet, in a file photo. She told the upper house Budget Committee on Monday that the cut in the consumption tax on food would basically be reflected in shop prices, and that it could be paid for without deficit-financing bonds.

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Riot police and protesters in a haze of tear gas on a Paris street, in a file image. Paris banned entry to the Place de la Republique and Les Halles overnight on Monday, and curfews were imposed in Lille, Lyon, Nice and other cities, after riots in which 2,513 people were detained across France.

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President Emmanuel Macron of France delivers a televised address from the Elysee Palace, in a file image. He has ruled out an immediate state of emergency and kept his interior minister, blaming insurrectionist elements for the violence.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average ended Monday 407.59 yen lower at 64,916.70 after falling more than 1,400 yen at one point, as worries about the debts of the American AI data-centre operator CoreWeave hit chip and AI stocks.

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An illustration of suspected AI-enabled cyberattacks on Japanese companies. The Yomiuri Shimbun reports traces of a Chinese-language AI agent in attacks on about 80 domestic firms, and a GMO Internet Group security unit says it has confirmed the use of a Chinese-made AI tool.

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A sign warning of bears, in Japanese and English, in a file image. Koriyama will keep firecrackers at 47 polling stations for Sunday's Fukushima governor election, and hunters and police in Okutama, western Tokyo, rehearsed an emergency shooting on Monday.

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Hanshin's Teruaki Sato, right, with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, in a file photo taken at the Tokyo Dome in March 2025, when the Tigers played the Dodgers in an exhibition game. Hanshin will post the Triple Crown winner to the major leagues this off-season.

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Japan weather, Tuesday, October 20, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Tuesday, October 20, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service Selected Cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. EDT on Monday, with lows for Monday night into Tuesday morning; zone forecasts issued on Monday; gridded forecast highs at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Monday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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The Kyoto District Court, in a file photo. Under a timetable drawn up by the Supreme Court, courts in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba will begin issuing warrants online in stimulant drug cases within the fiscal year, and every court in the country will handle all cases electronically from July next year.

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Typhoon No. 30, Champi, at 9 a.m. on Monday and its forecast track, in the map supplied for this edition: a large, very strong typhoon east of the Philippines at 14.0N, 139.3E, moving west-north-west at 20 km/h, with a central pressure of 950 hPa and maximum winds of 50 m/s, gusting to 70. Storm-force winds extend 130 km all around; gale-force winds 560 km to the north-east and 440 km to the south-west. It is forecast to become violent, at 920 hPa and 55 m/s, by Wednesday morning, to stay violent on Thursday, and to be very strong about 580 km south-west of Naha at 9 a.m. Friday, when Ishigaki, Miyakojima and Yonaguni are inside the area that could have storm winds; by 9 a.m. Saturday it is over Taiwan as a severe tropical storm. Each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the solid outline encloses the area that could have storm-force winds during the forecast period.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers questions in the Diet. In the House of Councillors Budget Committee on Monday she said bond issuance would be kept under appropriate control as the government cuts the consumption tax on food, and urged the former farm minister Kazuo Yana to keep explaining himself.

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Pope Leo XIV at the window above St Peter's Square. Leading the Angelus on Sunday in his first public appearance since surgery for lung cancer, he thanked his doctors and nurses and said the delicate phase of his recovery had passed.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average fell more than 1,400 yen at one point on Monday morning and dropped below 64,000 for the first time in about a month, after American technology shares slid on worries about the debt behind investment in artificial intelligence.

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A first-generation Subaru Forester bearing STi badges, by the sea at dusk. Subaru said on Sunday that it would launch software-defined vehicles, whose functions can be improved by over-the-air updates after sale, in the late 2020s and switch its whole lineup over time.

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A sign warning of bears, in Japanese and English, in a file image. A 59-year-old hunter helping to cull deer was clawed by a bear in the mountains of Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, on Sunday, as bears search for food before hibernation.

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The emblem of the 5th Asian Para Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, which opened on Sunday evening at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya and run until Saturday.

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Japan weather, Monday, October 19, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Monday, October 19, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service Selected Cities forecast issued at 8:50 p.m. EDT on Sunday, with lows for Sunday night into Monday; zone forecasts issued on Sunday; gridded forecast highs at 9 p.m. EDT on Sunday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Rice straw stacked to dry in harvested paddies. The farm ministry forecasts this year's crop of rice for eating at 7,406,000 tons, the second-largest in 30 years, pointing to a surplus of up to 480,000 tons over demand; report on the Economy pages.

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Typhoon No. 30, Champi, at 3 a.m. on Sunday and its forecast track, in the map supplied for this edition: a very strong typhoon of 945 hPa near the Mariana Islands at 13.1N, 144.9E, about 40 km south-south-east of Guam, moving west-north-west at 25 km/h with maximum winds of 50 m/s and gusts of 70 m/s. It is forecast to deepen to 935 hPa by 3 p.m. Sunday and hold that strength as it crosses the sea east of the Philippines from Tuesday, slowing to 10 km/h about 460 km south of Ishigaki by 3 a.m. Friday. Each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the solid outline encloses the area that could have storm-force winds, which by Friday reaches Ishigaki and comes within about 50 km of Miyakojima.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in the Diet. She sent a masakaki offering to Yasukuni Shrine for its autumn festival on Saturday but is not expected to visit in person while the festival runs, through Monday.

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The European Parliament in session. Its members are due to vote on November 23 on the European Commission's proposal to revise the rules that would end sales of new combustion-engine cars from 2035, after France and Germany agreed a joint position that would favour cars made in Europe.

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The crude oil tanker Idemitsu Maru at sea. Bills approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday would compensate companies for the extra cost of bringing crude and naphtha to Japan by routes that avoid the Strait of Hormuz, funded by a levy on the industry.

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An N700A train on the Tokaido Shinkansen. Central Japan Railway says its own earthquake detection system briefly stopped trains on Friday and that the weather agency's false warning, issued when a safeguard against distant readings failed, was not the direct cause.

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Yuko Fujigaki speaks at a news conference as the University of Tokyo's president-designate, wearing a brooch in the shape of a ginkgo leaf, the university's emblem. A scholar of science and technology studies, she takes office on April 1, 2027, as the first woman to lead the university.

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Shoki Oda pitches for Japan in a file photo. The Yokohama High School right-hander, whose 156 km/h fastball set a Koshien record this summer, said on Thursday that he would pursue a career in American baseball rather than enter Japan's draft.

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The emblem of the 5th Asian Para Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, which open on Sunday evening.

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A poster advertising the Grand Sumo Thailand Tournament, organised to celebrate the 84th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 2011. The Japan Sumo Association plans a tour of Bangkok next June, the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Thailand.

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Japan weather, Sunday, October 18, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Sunday, October 18, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday, zone forecasts issued on Saturday and gridded forecast highs issued at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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The Kyoto District Court, which on Friday acquitted Yukio Tanaka, 59, a senior member of a gang affiliated with the Kudo-kai, of the 2013 murder of Ohsho Food Service president Takayuki Ohigashi; prosecutors had sought life imprisonment.

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Typhoon No. 30, Champi, at 6 a.m. on Saturday and its forecast track, in the map supplied for this edition: a strong typhoon of 980 hPa near the Mariana Islands at 12.2N, 149.6E, moving west-north-west at 25 km/h with maximum winds of 35 m/s and gusts of 50 m/s. It is forecast to deepen to 975 hPa by 6 p.m. Saturday and 955 hPa near Guam by 6 a.m. Sunday, to become a very strong typhoon of 940 hPa by 3 a.m. Monday, and to hold at 935 hPa with winds of 50 m/s from Tuesday to Thursday, when it is expected about 650 km south of Naha. Each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the solid outline encloses the area that could have storm-force winds, which takes in Guam by 6 a.m. Sunday.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers questions in the Diet. In the House of Councillors Budget Committee on Friday she apologised that her agriculture minister, Kazuo Yana, had resigned while the Diet was in session and said she took her responsibility for appointing him seriously.

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Pope Leo XIV at the window above St Peter's Square. Recovering in Rome's Gemelli hospital after surgery on Tuesday, the pope telephoned President Vladimir Putin on Friday and asked for a ceasefire so that aid could reach Oleshky, an occupied town in Ukraine's Kherson region.

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Two emergency alerts as they appeared on a smartphone: the Japan Meteorological Agency's earthquake early warning at 12:40 p.m. on Friday, telling people that strong shaking was expected soon and to seek shelter, with a message in Japanese reporting an earthquake in the Kuril Islands, and its cancellation at 12:48 p.m. The real quake, near Kamchatka, was far smaller than the magnitude 9.9 the system estimated.

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Tokyo Skytree and the Sumida River. The number of foreign nationals living in Japan reached a record 4,281,026 at the end of June, 3.4 per cent of the population, while new arrivals on business manager visas fell 81 per cent after the rules were tightened, the Immigration Services Agency said on Friday.

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SoftBank Hawks players celebrate a title in a file photo. The Hawks came from behind to beat the Nippon-Ham Fighters 6-2 in Fukuoka on Friday, sweeping the Pacific League's Climax Series final stage to reach the Japan Series for the third straight year.

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Japan weather, Saturday, October 17, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Saturday, October 17, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. Eastern time on Friday, zone forecasts issued on Friday and gridded forecast highs issued at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time on Friday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average fell 3,318.34 yen on Thursday to 64,425.95, the third-largest one-day fall in points in its history, as worries about the borrowing behind the artificial intelligence boom and an early rise in American interest rates hit chip stocks; it opened 499 yen higher on Friday.

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Typhoon No. 30, Champi, at 6 a.m. on Friday and its forecast track, in the map supplied for this edition: a tropical storm of 998 hPa at 11.4N, 155.7E in the Marshall Islands area, moving west at 15 km/h with maximum winds of 20 m/s. It is forecast to become a severe tropical storm on Friday evening, a strong typhoon of 965 hPa near the Mariana Islands by 3 a.m. Sunday and a very strong typhoon of 950 hPa east of the Philippines by 3 a.m. Tuesday, and to lie about 980 km south-east of Naha at 3 a.m. Wednesday at 940 hPa. Each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the solid outline encloses the area that could have storm-force winds, which takes in Guam by early Sunday and Saipan by early Monday.

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Arata Takebe, the six-term member of the House of Representatives for Hokkaido's 12th district, who became agriculture minister on Thursday after Kazuo Yana resigned. At his first news conference he promised to expand demand for Japanese food at home and abroad and said talks on American potatoes must keep out harmful pests.

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The Sino-Korean Yalu River Bridge, which links Dandong in China with Sinuiju in North Korea and was opened with a joint ceremony on Thursday, 12 years after its main structure was completed. North Korea's premier said it would bring new vitality to economic co-operation.

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An illustration referring to the lawsuits filed against OpenAI this week by eight American states, which accuse the company of harming children and misleading the public about the safety of ChatGPT.

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The Onagawa nuclear power plant in Miyagi Prefecture. Tohoku Electric Power will shut down the No. 2 reactor around Saturday because a valve in equipment connected with the feedwater system is leaking about 0.2 tons of water an hour; the company says the surrounding environment is unaffected.

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Shugo Maki of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, whose two-out solo home run in the eighth inning gave DeNA a 1-0 win over Hanshin at Koshien on Thursday and a 2-1 lead in the Central League's Climax Series final stage.

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Japan weather, Friday, October 16, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Friday, October 16, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, zone forecasts issued on Thursday and gridded forecast highs issued at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. She accepted the resignation of her agriculture minister, Kazuo Yana, on Wednesday night after 28 days in office, saying responsibility for appointing him rested with her; his successor is to be named today.

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The tropical depression near the Marshall Islands at 6 a.m. on Thursday and its forecast track, in the map supplied for this edition: 1004 hPa at 10.8N, 160.0E, about 1,680 km east of Guam, moving north-west at 20 km/h. It is forecast to become a tropical storm, Typhoon No. 30, by 6 a.m. Friday, a severe tropical storm by 3 a.m. Sunday and a strong typhoon of 965 hPa near the Mariana Islands by 3 a.m. Monday, then to head west-north-west towards the sea east of the Philippines. Each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the solid outline encloses the area that could have storm-force winds, which takes in Guam and Saipan by early Sunday. Koguma, No. 29, became an extratropical low at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

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Kazuo Yana in a campaign image from Tochigi Prefecture's No. 3 district. He resigned as agriculture minister on Wednesday evening after 28 days in office, hours after revising what he had told the Budget Committee about his staff's contact with the election commission over free buses for supporters.

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Smoke rises beside an airport terminal as an airliner stands at a gate, in a file image supplied for this edition. A senior Houthi figure says the group will keep attacking Saudi airports and oil facilities and will respond at once to any American intervention; Saudi Arabia says an Aramco administration building in Dhahran was hit on Tuesday.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average rose more than 630 yen on Wednesday morning before chip stocks turned lower after ASML's results, and closed 33.23 yen down at 67,744.29, its fifth straight fall; in New York the Nasdaq lost 511.51 points after hotter-than-expected inflation data.

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Japan weather, Thursday, October 15, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Thursday, October 15, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, zone forecasts issued on Wednesday and gridded forecast highs issued at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Kazuo Yana, the agriculture minister, in a campaign image from Tochigi Prefecture's No. 3 district. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Tuesday that she would seriously consider whether he should stay in office and would not hesitate to act if his campaign was found to have broken the election law; she is to meet him today.

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Exhibitors and visitors among the stands in a hall at Makuhari Messe, Chiba, where CEATEC 2026, Japan's largest exhibition of digital technology, runs until Friday with 821 companies and organisations taking part and AI that works in the physical world as its leading theme.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. On the first day of Budget Committee questioning on Tuesday she called the income-linked support payment that accompanies her food tax cut a groundbreaking measure; the committee resumes at 9 a.m. today.

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Riyadh at dusk, in a file image supplied for this edition. Saudi Arabia's energy minister has promised a response 'equally serious' to the Houthi attacks, which have killed at least 20 people at the kingdom's airports in a week; King Khalid International Airport, about 35 kilometres north of the city centre, remains closed.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average fell 1,253.40 yen to 67,777.52 on Tuesday as chip stocks were sold after the holiday, while the broader TOPIX rose 5.86 points; in New York the Dow lost 180.45 points.

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A Kyushu Shinkansen 800 series train in Tsubame service at a station platform. JR Kyushu said the line would run normally from the first train today after inspections found a damaged fitting on the overhead wire between Kumamoto and Shin-Yatsushiro; 97 trains were cancelled on Tuesday.

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Japan weather, Wednesday, October 14, 2026: the sky, daytime high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Wednesday, October 14, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, zone forecasts issued on Tuesday and gridded forecast highs issued at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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A missile rises from a coastal launch site over the sea at dusk, in a file image. North Korea fired at least two ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan on Monday morning, one of which flew more than 910 kilometres; both are thought to have fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, and no damage was reported.

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The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announces the 2026 Prize in Economic Sciences in Stockholm on Monday: Robert E. Hall of Stanford University, born in 1943, and Michael Woodford of Columbia University, born in 1955, honoured "for microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation".

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. She and all her ministers face two days of basic questioning in the lower house Budget Committee from Tuesday morning, with the cut in the consumption tax on food and the agriculture minister's remarks expected to dominate.

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Navi Pillay, the South African jurist and former judge of the International Criminal Court who was awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize, in an image supplied for this edition. She visited the court in The Hague and met its president, Tomoko Akane, Kyodo News reported.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The market reopens on Tuesday after the Sports Day holiday; in New York on Monday the Dow rose 195.60 points while the Nasdaq fell 120.27, led lower by memory-chip shares.

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A Kyushu Shinkansen 800 series train in Tsubame service at a station platform. The line was suspended between Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo from the first train on Tuesday while JR Kyushu inspected its overhead wires after a pantograph fault was found on Monday night.

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Typhoon No. 29 (Koguma) at the right edge of today's weather map: the western part of its area of gales and its track from 6 a.m. on Monday; a note marks the centre at 6 a.m. today, at 975 hPa, about 80 km beyond the edge of the map. There is no separate typhoon map today. (Data: Japan Meteorological Agency bulletin of 6:45 a.m.)

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Japan weather, Tuesday, October 13, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Tuesday, October 13, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. Eastern time on Monday, zone forecasts issued on Monday and gridded forecast highs issued at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time on Monday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Smoke and flames rise beside an airport terminal as an airliner stands at a gate, in an image supplied for this edition. Saudi Arabia kept King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh closed on Sunday after Saturday's missile strike, which killed 12 people and injured 309, and the Houthis said they had attacked the airport again.

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Riyadh at dusk, with the Kingdom Centre, centre, and the Al Faisaliah tower, right, in a file image supplied for this edition. The Saudi capital's main airport, King Khalid International, about 35 kilometres north of the city centre, was struck by a missile on Saturday and, the Houthis said, attacked again on Sunday; it remained closed. Airports in Jizan, Najran and Abha have also been attacked in the past week.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. She has twice said that her agriculture minister, Kazuo Yana, should stay in his post; over the weekend a former prime minister called his remarks highly questionable, and Liberal Democrats in his home prefecture called his situation severe.

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Pope Leo XIV at the window above St Peter's Square, in an image supplied for this edition. Speaking after the Angelus prayer on Sunday, the pope said doctors had found a nodule in his lung at a very early stage and that he would have an operation to remove it in the coming days.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The market is closed on Monday for Sports Day and reopens on Tuesday; the Nikkei average ended Friday at 69,030.92, down 11.19, while the TOPIX rose 13.35.

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A sign warning of bears, in Japanese and English, in a file image supplied for this edition. A man in his 50s was clawed in the head by a bear at the entrance to his home in the Obara district of Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, on Sunday morning; the city has recorded 48 sightings this fiscal year.

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Yokohama DeNA BayStars players celebrate by tossing a member of the team into the air, in a file image supplied for this edition. DeNA beat the Giants 4-1 at Tokyo Dome on Sunday to complete a two-game sweep of the Climax Series first stage, and play Hanshin in the final stage at Koshien from Wednesday.

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Typhoon No. 29 (Koguma) at 9 a.m. on Monday, from today's weather map: its centre, with its area of storm-force winds of 25 m/s or more and its wider area of gales of 15 m/s or more; its 6 a.m. position on the track; and the forecast circle for 9 p.m., within which the centre is expected to be with a probability of 70 per cent. There is no separate typhoon map today. (Data: Japan Meteorological Agency bulletin of 9:45 a.m.)

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Japan weather, Monday, October 12, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Monday, October 12, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, zone forecasts issued on Sunday and gridded forecast highs issued at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, right, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a file image. Mr Motegi spoke to Mr Rubio by telephone on Saturday night, after assuring Tomoko Akane, the Japanese president of the International Criminal Court, of Japan's support, and conveyed his regret over the killing in Naha for which an American marine has been arrested.

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Two storms at 6 a.m. on Sunday and their forecast tracks, in the map supplied for this edition: Typhoon No. 29 (Koguma), a very strong typhoon of 950 hPa in the waters near Minamitorishima, forecast to stay very strong as it passes about 510 km east of Chichijima at 6 a.m. on Monday, to be about 980 km east-south-east of Tokyo at 3 a.m. on Tuesday and to become an extratropical low by early Thursday; and No. 28 (Nolo), a tropical storm east of Japan, forecast to become an extratropical low about 580 km east-south-east of Tokyo by 6 a.m. on Monday. The shaded discs are each storm's present areas of storm-force winds and gales; each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the outlines enclose the areas that could have storm winds; the solid lines trace each storm's track so far.

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The Senkaku Islands from the air, in a file image. Four China Coast Guard ships entered Japanese territorial waters off the islands on Saturday afternoon and stayed for about an hour and 40 minutes before leaving, the Japan Coast Guard said.

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A China Coast Guard ship at sea, in a file image. Taiwan's president, Lai Ching-te, accused China on Saturday of applying pressure through military and grey-zone activities; a Chinese militia boat was seen off Taiwan's east coast with a coast guard ship in August, Reuters has reported.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The market is closed on Monday for Sports Day; the Nikkei average ended Friday at 69,030.92, down 11.19, after falling nearly 900 yen in the morning, while the TOPIX rose 13.35.

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Japan weather, Sunday, October 11, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Sunday, October 11, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, and the forecast track of the remnants of Isaias from Alabama to the southern Appalachians, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday, gridded forecast highs issued at 11:30 a.m., and the Weather Prediction Center's forecast of 5 p.m. Saturday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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The entrance of a BookOff shop in front of Akihabara Station in Tokyo, in a file image. BookOff Group Holdings said on Friday that the records of up to about 6.43 million members may have leaked after unauthorised access to a member management system run by a subsidiary; its leak has not been linked to the attack on IDC Frontier's cloud.

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Two storms at 3 a.m. on Saturday and their forecast tracks, in the map supplied for this edition: Typhoon No. 29 (Koguma), a strong typhoon near Minamitorishima, forecast to be very strong by early Sunday, to pass about 500 km east of Chichijima early on Monday and to become an extratropical low by early Thursday; and No. 28 (Nolo), now a tropical storm near the Ogasawara Islands, forecast to be about 720 km east-south-east of Tokyo early on Sunday and extratropical by early Monday. The shaded discs are each storm's present areas of storm-force winds and gales; each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the outlines enclose the areas that could have storm winds.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. She told the House of Councillors on Friday that cutting the consumption tax on food would reduce the burden by about 36,000 yen per person a year.

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Navi Pillay, the former judge of the International Criminal Court and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.

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The head office of East Japan Railway Company near Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, in a file image. The company said on Friday that about 6.09 million records of customers of its group's services, kept on IDC Frontier's cloud, may have leaked.

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Japan weather, Saturday, October 10, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Saturday, October 10, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, and the forecast track of Hurricane Isaias across the western Florida Panhandle and Alabama, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. Eastern time on Friday, gridded forecast highs issued at 11:30 a.m., and the National Hurricane Center's forecast of 5 p.m. Friday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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A cold-storage centre of Nissui Logistics, the low-temperature logistics subsidiary of the Nissui group, in a file image. After a cyberattack the company stopped receiving and shipping goods at all 17 of its warehouses, which about 1,200 businesses use; Nichirei Foods and other clients have moved goods elsewhere.

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Two storms at 6 a.m. on Friday and their forecast tracks, in the map supplied for this edition: Typhoon No. 29 (Koguma), a strong typhoon near Minamitorishima, forecast to be very strong by early Sunday, to pass near the Ogasawara Islands on Monday and Tuesday and to be about 890 km east of Tokyo by early Wednesday; and No. 28 (Nolo), a severe tropical storm, forecast to pass about 630 km north-east of Chichijima on Saturday morning and to become an extratropical low by early Monday. The shaded discs are each storm's present areas of storm-force winds and gales; each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the outlines enclose the areas that could have storm winds.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. She has told the agriculture minister, Kazuo Yana, to stay in his post and repay the public with his work, and has ruled out an investigation within the government into how budgets were allocated.

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A B-1B Lancer bomber of the United States Air Force, in a file image. American bombers have repeatedly flown near the Korean Peninsula with Japanese and South Korean fighters in response to North Korean launches. North Korea conducted its first nuclear test 20 years ago today.

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The head office of the Nichirei group beside the Kachidoki Bridge in Tokyo. Nichirei Foods, one of the clients of Nissui Logistics, has moved goods to other warehouses after the cyberattack that stopped all 17 of Nissui Logistics' warehouses.

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Japan weather, Friday, October 9, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Friday, October 9, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, and the forecast track of Hurricane Isaias towards the northern Gulf Coast, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, gridded forecast highs issued at 11:30 a.m., and the National Hurricane Center's forecast of 5 p.m. Thursday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Henri Kagan, left, of the Université Paris-Sud, and Kenso Soai of Tokyo University of Science, the 2026 laureates in chemistry, as shown at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences' announcement in Stockholm on Wednesday evening, Japan time. The citation reads 'for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis'.

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Two storms at 6 a.m. on Thursday and their forecast tracks, in the map supplied for this edition: Typhoon No. 28 (Nolo), a severe tropical storm near Minamitorishima, forecast to strengthen, turn north and become an extratropical low about 890 km east of Tokyo by early Sunday; and No. 29 (Koguma), near Wake Island, forecast to be very strong by early Saturday and about 510 km east-north-east of Chichijima early on Tuesday. The shaded discs are each storm's present areas of storm-force winds and gales; each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the outlines enclose the areas that could have storm winds.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. Answering the first of the party leaders' questions on her policy speech, she called a cut in the consumption tax the best method and said its funding would be designed after deliberation.

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Henri Kagan, 95, professor emeritus of the Université Paris-Sud, as shown in the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences' announcement on Wednesday.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average fell 648 yen on Wednesday to 70,035.71, its first fall in three sessions, but held above 70,000; the TOPIX rose briefly in the morning above its August 14 high.

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Japan weather, Thursday, October 8, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Thursday, October 8, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, with gridded forecast highs issued at 11:30 a.m.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, in the city of Ginowan, Okinawa, seen from the air in May 2010. The American forces in Okinawa suspend operations from today until Friday and will impose a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. for 30 days from Friday, after the arrest of a Marine from the base.

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Three storms at 6 a.m. on Wednesday and their forecast tracks, in the map supplied for this edition: Typhoon No. 27 (Choi-wan), turning extratropical and heading for the Aleutians; No. 28 (Nolo), weakening near Wake Island; and No. 29 (Koguma), forecast to be very strong by early Saturday and about 550 km east of Chichijima early on Monday. The shaded discs are each storm's present areas of storm-force winds and gales; each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. The governing parties have resumed their talks on revising the constitution, and the parties have held their first meeting on reducing the number of lower-house seats.

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Military aircraft over the White House during a state visit in September, in a file image. The United States and China are discussing mutual visits to nuclear facilities, CNN reports.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average rose 737 yen on Tuesday to 70,683.98, its first close above 70,000 since July 1, with about three-quarters of Prime market issues higher.

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Japan weather, Wednesday, October 7, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for 19 cities, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Wednesday, October 7, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, with gridded forecast highs issued at 11:30 a.m.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. She delivered her policy speech to both houses on Monday, the first day of the extraordinary session, promising a cut in the consumption tax on food and protesting to the United States over the killing in Naha.

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Three storms at 6 a.m. on Tuesday and their forecast tracks: Typhoon No. 27 (Choi-wan) in red, No. 28 (Nolo) in purple and No. 29 (Koguma) in green. The shaded discs are each storm's present areas of storm-force winds and gales; each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent.

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Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, in the city of Ginowan, Okinawa, seen from the air in May 2010. The Marine arrested on Sunday is assigned to the base. The governor of Okinawa protested to the senior American officer on the island on Monday.

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A B-1B Lancer bomber of the United States Air Force, in a file photograph from March 2003. All twelve B-1s stationed at Fairford, in England, were flown back to the United States over the weekend, American newspapers report.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average rose 1,637 yen on Monday to 69,946.86, after trading above 70,000 during the afternoon.

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Japan weather, Tuesday, October 6, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for each city, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Tuesday, October 6, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. Eastern time on Monday, with gridded forecast highs issued at 11:30 a.m.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, in the centre of the city of Ginowan, Okinawa, seen from the air on May 26, 2010. The Marine arrested on Sunday on suspicion of robbery and murder in Naha is assigned to the base, whose return to Japan was agreed in 1996 and awaits a replacement at Henoko.

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Typhoon No. 27 (Choi-wan): its position at 6 a.m. on Monday, the track so far, and the Japan Meteorological Agency's forecast to Thursday. The red and yellow discs are the present areas of storm-force winds and gales; each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the red outline encloses everywhere that could have storm-force winds.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. The extraordinary session of the Diet convenes today.

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A luncheon for technology executives at the White House in September, in a file image. President Trump announced on Sunday a body to co-ordinate the government's policy on artificial intelligence, Kyodo News and Jiji Press report.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The exchange begins this month the second stage of its reform of the TOPIX index.

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Japan weather, Monday, October 5, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for each city, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Monday, October 5, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in the map supplied for this edition. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday, with gridded forecast highs issued at 1 p.m.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Hanshin players toss their manager in the air at Koshien after clinching the Central League pennant, in a photograph supplied for this edition. The manager wears No. 80 and the picture is from the club's celebration of 2023. Saturday's title, the club's first in consecutive years, was decided while the team was at its hotel in Hiroshima, when the Giants lost at Tokyo Dome.

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Typhoon No. 27 (Choi-wan): its position at 3 a.m. on Sunday, the track so far, and the Japan Meteorological Agency's forecast to Thursday. The red and yellow discs are the present areas of storm-force winds and gales; each dashed circle is where the centre is expected to be at that time with a probability of 70 per cent; the red outline encloses everywhere that could have storm-force winds.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. The extraordinary session of the Diet convenes on Monday.

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Military aircraft over the White House during September's state visit, in a file image. President Trump told President Xi to speak directly to Japan's prime minister, Japanese officials say, according to Yomiuri Shimbun.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. Markets are closed today and reopen on Monday; the Nikkei average ended last week at 68,309.46.

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Japan weather, Sunday, October 4, 2026: the sky, forecast high and morning low for each city, in a detail of the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather for Sunday, October 4, 2026: the sky, forecast highs and morning lows in degrees Fahrenheit for 26 cities, in a detail of the map supplied for this edition. The colour of the land shows the forecast high. Data: U.S. National Weather Service selected-cities forecast issued at 8:50 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Typhoon No. 27 (Choi-wan): the track so far, the Japan Meteorological Agency's forecast circles and the storm warning area, drawn for today's edition from the agency's bulletin of 6:45 a.m. on Saturday. The red disc and yellow ring show the present storm-force and gale-force wind areas. Distances in the lower panel are calculated from the forecast positions; the centre may pass anywhere inside the circles.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. The opposition parties intend to question her responsibility for appointing the agriculture minister, Kazuo Yana, when the extraordinary session convenes on Monday, Kyodo News reports.

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A luncheon for technology executives at the White House in September, in a file image. President Trump has begun campaigning for the November 3 midterm elections in states his party already holds, Bloomberg reports.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average fell 647 yen on Friday to 68,309.46, its first decline in three sessions, with more than 80 per cent of Prime market shares lower, Yomiuri reports.

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Japan weather, Saturday, October 3, 2026: the sky, forecast high and low for each city, in the map supplied for this edition.

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United States weather forecast map supplied for this edition, for Saturday, October 3, 2026: highs and lows in degrees Fahrenheit. The Honolulu box carries a drafting note and no forecast. Reproduced as supplied.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Passengers leave flydubai Flight FZ1073 by the rear stairs at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, after the emergency landing. A section of the rudder is missing from the tail fin.

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Captain Smit Machchhar, who unlocked the cockpit door after he was wounded, in an undated photograph.

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The plumber Yaniv Hayun, right, in the stained T-shirt he was still wearing when he was welcomed home on Wednesday evening.

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Military aircraft over the White House during September's state visit, in a file image. The United States is weighing the dispatch of up to 10,000 more personnel and a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East; the Yokosuka-based George Washington is already there.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. The laws on proactive cyber defence took effect on Thursday; she said the threat cannot be met by the government, the private sector or any one country alone.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average closed at 68,956.72 on Thursday, up 2,203 yen, its highest in about a month and a half, with Advantest alone adding about 700 yen.

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Track graphic for Typhoon No. 27 (Choi-wan) supplied for this edition. Its text panel gives the storm as a tropical storm expected to peak as a very strong typhoon and to approach the Ogasawara Islands on October 5 and 6. The line drawn on its map lies near 134 to 135 degrees east, well west of the agency's forecast positions near the Ogasawara Islands. Reproduced as supplied.

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United States weather forecast map supplied for this edition, titled for Friday, October 2, 2026: highs and lows in degrees Fahrenheit. The Philadelphia box carries a condition and no temperatures. Reproduced as supplied.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives, in a file image. She has announced that an action plan for the social implementation of high-performance AI will be formulated by the end of the year, Yomiuri reports, on the morning the cyber act, the new residency requirement and the unified beer tax take effect.

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President Trump speaks at the White House luncheon with the heads of AI companies, with Elon Musk at his left and the executives ranged along the table. Kyodo reported that about 20 executives signed a voluntary agreement at the meeting; the Federal Trade Commission is now investigating major AI companies including OpenAI and Anthropic.

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Military aircraft over the White House during the arrival ceremony of last week's state visit, in a file image. The United States defence secretary has announced the creation of a unified force of AI drones and robots, placing the services' autonomous systems under one command.

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The dollar-yen rate through October 1, on the chart supplied for this edition: 162.35 at the end of July, 160.03 on September 1, 153.50 on September 9, 158.92 on September 25 and 157.97 on October 1, marked in orange. The chart notes that data for January to March is not available in its source. Reproduced as supplied.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average opened 352 yen higher at 67,106 this morning with semiconductor stocks leading the buying, and Osaka's December futures opened at 67,340; Nidec reported a net loss of 564.6 billion yen with its auditors declining to express an opinion for a second year.

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United States weather forecast map supplied for this edition: highs and lows in degrees Fahrenheit, with arrows showing changing conditions. The map is titled for Friday, October 1, 2026, which is a Thursday; it carries two boxes labelled Denver and places snowflake symbols in several boxes labelled rain. Reproduced as supplied.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Mongolian Prime Minister Ochilar shake hands before their talks at the Prime Minister's Office. The two governments discussed yen loans for the expansion of Mongolia's airport, energy co-operation with Power Asia and a plan for co-operation on artificial intelligence, Mainichi and Sankei report.

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President Trump in the Oval Office during last week's state visit, in a file image. The administration has met about 20 executives of artificial intelligence developers, including OpenAI and Anthropic, and the companies signed a voluntary agreement on development, Kyodo reports.

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Track of Typhoon No. 26, spelled Surigae on the map, as forecast by the Japan Meteorological Agency and tenki.jp at 3 a.m. on September 29: north-east of Minamidaito at 970 to 975 hPa and 35 to 40 metres a second, near 29.3N 136.4E at midnight tonight, near 35.5N 143.5E at 9 p.m. on Thursday at 990 hPa, and off the Kurils by Friday evening. Reproduced as supplied.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei average fell 396 yen to 65,481 on Tuesday, its second consecutive decline, on the ex-dividend date and rising American rates, with more than 80% of prime stocks lower, Yomiuri reports.

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The Japanese and Mongolian delegations across the table at the Prime Minister's Office, with Prime Minister Takaichi at the centre of the Japanese side and Prime Minister Ochilar opposite. The talks covered yen loans for the airport expansion, energy co-operation with Power Asia and a plan for co-operation on artificial intelligence.

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United States weather forecast map supplied for this edition: highs and lows in degrees Fahrenheit, with arrows showing changing conditions. The map is titled for Thursday, September 30, 2026, which is a Wednesday; it carries two boxes labelled Denver and prints Anchorage's condition as 'Show'. Reproduced as supplied.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the rostrum of the House of Representatives. She has announced the formulation and publication of a National Information Strategy to bring Japan's information activities up to par with Europe and the United States, Sankei reports, and the extraordinary Diet session convenes on October 5 with the consumption tax cut on food and a reduction in lower-house seats on its agenda.

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President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan leave the United States at the end of last week's state visit. In Beijing, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told former Foreign Minister Iwaya that Japan and China are 'once again in a difficult situation' and that a correction of statements and actions regarding Taiwan is necessary, TV Asahi reports.

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President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump with President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan in the Oval Office during the state visit. A framework for sharing information on major AI accidents is documented as an outcome of the summit.

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A B-2 bomber and its fighter escorts pass over the flag during the arrival ceremony for President Xi's state visit to the White House. B-2s and B-52s deploy on rotation to RAF Fairford in England; the five people arrested near the base on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack are to be released as the investigation continues.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. Tokyo opens this morning to a Dow down 347 points on rising rates, to Nvidia's addition of more than 23 trillion yen to its share buyback, and to a yen whose undervaluation correction Japan and the United States have confirmed.

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United States weather forecast map supplied for this edition: highs and lows in degrees Fahrenheit, with arrows showing changing conditions. The map is titled for Sunday, September 27, and its readings are identical to those carried on Sunday and Monday; it carries two boxes labelled Denver and spells New York as 'Rew York'. Reproduced as supplied.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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President Trump welcomes President Xi Jinping at the start of the Chinese leader's state visit to the United States. Asahi Shimbun reports that the agreement the two leaders reached includes tariff reductions worth approximately 4.7 trillion yen and the sharing of information on serious accidents involving artificial intelligence.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week. Mainichi Shimbun's poll puts the cabinet's approval at 45% and disapproval at 40%, the first time in three months that approval has exceeded disapproval.

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A B-2 bomber and its fighter escorts pass over the flag during the arrival ceremony for President Xi's state visit to the White House. B-2s and B-52s deploy on rotation to RAF Fairford in England, near which five people have been arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. Markets reopen this morning to a yen at the 156 level, after Japan and the United States confirmed that the currency's undervaluation is a problem, and to an American-Chinese agreement that Asahi prices at about 4.7 trillion yen in tariff cuts.

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President Xi Jinping and President Trump in the Oval Office during the state visit. Asahi Shimbun reports that the agreement reached at the summit includes tariff reductions worth about 4.7 trillion yen and the sharing of information on serious accidents involving artificial intelligence.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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President Trump and Mrs. Trump with President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan in the Oval Office during the state visit. The summit's outcome document includes an AI dialogue framework and, on the American side, the phrase 'Allies of the Great War'; Sankei reports it uses the word 'respect' and drops North Korea's denuclearisation.

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A B-2 bomber and its fighter escorts pass over the flag during the arrival ceremony for President Xi's state visit to the White House. Closer to home, the Okinawa Defense Bureau plans to store American missile launchers at Kadena, Kyodo reports.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The yen briefly traded around 156 to the dollar after the Japanese and American finance ministers confirmed at their meeting that its undervaluation is a problem, Kyodo and TBS report.

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President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan wave from the door of their aircraft as they leave the United States at the end of the state visit. The summit's outcome document, published as they departed, includes an AI dialogue framework and states on the American side that the two countries were 'Allies of the Great War'; Sankei reports it reflects China's claims and omits North Korea's denuclearisation.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week. In a telephone conversation with President Trump she received a detailed explanation of the American-Chinese talks, and afterwards called Japan and the United States 'the most trustworthy allies'.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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President Trump and Mrs. Trump with President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan in the Oval Office during the state visit, a model of the presidential aircraft on the table. Xi demanded 'opposition to Taiwan independence'; the President did not disclose his reply, Yomiuri reported.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York earlier this week. Her government described the summit's wartime remark as 'within expectations', declining to be provoked.

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A B-2 bomber and its fighter escorts pass over the flag during the arrival ceremony for President Xi Jinping's state visit to the White House. In the talks that followed the honours, Xi said the two countries had fought against 'the Japanese militaristic aggressors' and Trump said China 'was an ally'.

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Vice President JD Vance announces the recovery of $2.2 billion in fraudulent Affordable Care Act payments at a White House event, flanked by officials of the administration's task force against Obamacare fraud.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. Finance Minister Katayama and the U.S. Treasury Secretary confirmed by telephone that the yen's undervaluation is a problem, after the currency touched 159.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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President Xi Jinping and President Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, during the Chinese leader's state visit to the United States. The two discussed artificial intelligence and security with Taiwan a central focus, and the trade truce is expected to be extended by two months.

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President Trump welcomes President Xi Jinping at the start of the Chinese leader's state visit. In Thursday's talks at the White House, Xi called on the President to oppose Taiwan's independence and both leaders emphasised co-operation, according to Asahi Shimbun.

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The Tokyo Stock Exchange at Kabutocho. The Nikkei 225 closed at 65,513 on Thursday, up 495 and its fourth consecutive gain, after briefly reaching 66,249.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York earlier this week. Her government is now measuring the Washington summit's results against the position she put on record.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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President Trump welcomes President Xi Jinping at the start of the Chinese leader's state visit to the United States. The two presidents hold their summit today, Washington time, with trade, Taiwan and artificial intelligence on the agenda.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In her first speech to the Assembly she appealed for the rule of law, expressed Japan's consistent support for the International Criminal Court, and pledged to seek the prompt removal of the Charter's former enemy clauses.

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President Trump before the flags of the United States and China. His summit with President Xi Jinping is held today, Washington time, with trade, Taiwan and artificial intelligence on the agenda.

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President Trump speaking during his visit to China in May. Today's state visit by President Xi to Washington returns the courtesy four months later.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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President Trump and Prime Minister Takaichi, with their delegations, at their meeting at United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday. The two leaders met for about 35 minutes on the margins of the General Assembly.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Governor Yuriko Koike at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's typhoon briefing. The capital's response ran from the Zenpukuji River in western Tokyo to Izu Oshima, where up to 611 millimetres of rain fell in 24 hours.

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The dollar-yen rate in 2026: monthly readings from April to August (left) and daily readings through September 22 (right). The dollar peaked at 162.3518 yen in July, fell to just above 153 on September 9 and has climbed back to 157.3880; the September 22 value is an indicative live quote.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Typhoon No. 25 (Dujuan), updated September 21: the Japan Meteorological Agency track with the JTWC warning track alongside it, showing the storm-warning and gale fields over Kanto at its closest approach.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Typhoon No. 25 (Dujuan): the Japan Meteorological Agency track issued at 00:45 JST on Sunday, with the JTWC warning track alongside it. The storm turns north toward Kanto and Tokai, with the closest approach expected on Monday afternoon.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Governor Kazuo Ueda's press conference in Nihonbashi on Friday afternoon, after the Policy Board raised the policy rate to around 1.25%. He told reporters that increases will continue depending on the situation.

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The Bank of Japan's headquarters in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. The new policy rate of around 1.25%, the highest since April 1995, applies from Thursday.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Her second cabinet was completed on Thursday with the economic and security core retained, Yoshimasa Hayashi leaving Internal Affairs and Kazuo Yanagi appointed to Agriculture.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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The second Takaichi Cabinet on the staircase at the Prime Minister's Office after Thursday's inauguration. Minoru Kihara, Toshimitsu Motegi, Satsuki Katayama and Shinjiro Koizumi all keep their posts, and the Japan Innovation Party takes a cabinet seat for the first time.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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The Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant on the Shizuoka coast. Chubu Electric Power withdrew its application for the safety review that would have cleared the way to a restart after an internal committee found 208 seismic readings had been handled improperly.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Genta Koja raises a victory daruma as supporters applaud on Sunday night after his win in the Okinawa gubernatorial election. Koja, 42, defeated two-term incumbent Denny Tamaki by roughly 147,000 votes.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Lower Manhattan and the twin towers of the World Trade Center as they stood before September 11, 2001. Twenty-five years on, 2,977 names are read again this morning at the National September 11 Memorial.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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The iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable phone, unveiled Wednesday at the company's Cupertino event. Japan preorders open Oct. 16, with the base 256GB model listed at ¥364,800.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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Editorial cartoon by Taro Suzuki for The Japan Morning Post.

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