Overview

• The MLIT Osaka Civil Aviation Bureau issued an improvement recommendation to Japan Air Commuter after inspections found 212 neglected maintenance responses and 221 missed post‑maintenance safety confirmations from September 2018 through July 2025.
• The regulatory action followed the airline’s July 2 report of a missing fastener on an exterior lamp plate, and inspectors also cited failures in required record‑keeping.
• At the Tokyo High Court, challenges to July’s Upper House election over the “one‑vote” disparity concluded hearings on Oct. 8, with a judgment scheduled for Oct. 30 covering 11 constituencies.
• LDP leader Sanae Takaichi inaugurated a new party executive team on Oct. 7, and discussions with Komeito on continuing the governing coalition ended without agreement and will continue.
• Ecological strain and public‑safety concerns surfaced nationwide, with Hokkaido reporting widespread acorn failures linked to increased bear incursions and separate incidents including a bear injury to an 82‑year‑old in Akita, a suspected domestic stabbing in Iwate, and an odor event at an Okayama school that sent 10 people to hospitals with minor symptoms.