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

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

Repair work has begun for a white hood believed to have been worn by Uesugi Kenshin, a Japanese feudal lord of the Sengoku Period; the hood is expected to be exhibited in 2028, 450th anniversary of Kenshin's death, or 2030, 500th anniversary of his birth

People who experienced the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki but are not certified as hibakusha victims - Japanese specific word for atomic bomb survivors - will receive medical assistance equivalent to that given to hibakusha, said PM Kishida

Water accidents left 242 people dead or missing nationwide in July and August, marking a third consecutive year-on-year increase, the National Policy Agency said; accidents at sea, in rivers and other waters rose to 488, up 35 from a year ago