Overview

• LDP leader Sanae Takaichi finalized executive appointments and launched a new leadership team, then met Komeito chief Tetsuo Saito to discuss keeping the coalition, with negotiations extended after no agreement.
• According to multiple reports, Takaichi is weighing forgoing a Yasukuni Shrine visit during the autumn rites to avoid diplomatic backlash from China and South Korea.
• Reporting from Seoul and Tokyo notes North Korea has reduced launch frequency this year but improved missile capabilities and supplied systems to Russia, making interception harder as ICBM development progresses.
• Tomakomai City is developing a deer-repellent made from sea stars to reduce vehicle collisions, planning effectiveness tests and possible spraying on busy municipal roads as early as spring 2026.
• A young boy was struck by a truck on a prefectural road in Nagoya’s Minato Ward and was hospitalized in an unconscious, critical condition, police said.