Saturday 28 was a bittersweet day for panda-lovers across Japan: over 2.000 fans gathered at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo to bid their final tearful goodbyes - 1 minute each - to a beloved pair of giant pandas, Ri Ri and Shin Shin, before they departed to China

A snow crab fetched a top price of 1,5 million yen (around €9.200) in the first seasonal auction held in the port of Tottori, Honshu

Mount Fuji is still snowless as of the end of October, marking the longest period since records began 130 years ago

Halloween celebrations by cosplayers were subdued at Tokyo's Shibuya this weekend, after local authorities strengthened measures to prevent overcrowding and extend the period of alcohol consumption ban on certain streets from seasonal to year-round

Researchers at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and Shikoku Electric Power are conducting a project exploring the potential of soil microbes for use in fuel cells, as they could serve as a clean, long-lasting, and affordable power source