1. Japan’s economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.0 percent from April to June, marking the fifth straight quarterly expansion.
2. Worshipers lite about 100,000 candles to pray for their ancestors at a sacred mountain in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan. Mount Koya, or Koyasan, is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3. A drill simulating shooting wild bears that have appeared in populated areas was held in Sapporo City in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido on Thursday.