Overview

• Mobility analysis of the Sept. 24 Akihabara stump speeches found a higher share of people in their 40s and 50s and nearly a 20% drop in those 30 and under versus weekday averages, according to Agroup data.
• The Liberal Democratic Party race to choose Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s successor is underway with public campaigning and forums ahead of the party’s decision.
• High-level Japan–Russia dialogue has been suspended since a roughly 25-minute call on Feb. 17, 2022, with Moscow rejecting peace-treaty talks and canceling visa-free exchanges tied to the Northern Territories.
• Ishiba is expected to leave office without a summit with Vladimir Putin, a first for a Japanese prime minister who served during the Putin era since 2000, as reported.
• Separate updates include 58 no-confidence motions against mayors proposed nationwide from FY2014–FY2023 with 10 passed and 7 council dissolutions, JBA electing B.League chair Shinji Shimada as its new president, and Okawahara Parking launching October online-only discounts near New Chitose after airport rate hikes.