Overview

• Japan’s MLIT Osaka Aviation Bureau issued an improvement recommendation to Japan Air Commuter after inspections found 212 required maintenance actions and 221 post-maintenance safety checks were skipped between September 2018 and July 2025, with record-keeping deficiencies also identified.
• Officials said the inquiry followed a July 2 report from the airline that it operated with a missing fastener on a plate holding an external lamp, prompting on-site checks that uncovered broader procedural failures.
• The Bank of Japan’s Hakodate branch kept southern Hokkaido’s overall outlook at “gradual recovery” but downgraded the production component to show weaker momentum in its October regional assessment.
• Sapporo’s Board of Education is seeking donated books through December 9 for the Tadao Ando–designed Kodomo Hon no Mori Sapporo at Hokkaido University, planned to open in summer 2026.
• Tomakomai city is testing a starfish-based deer repellent and, if effectiveness is confirmed, plans to begin dispersal on accident-prone city roads in spring 2026 to reduce vehicle–deer collisions.