The Day America Voted and North Korea Launched

North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles early in the day, setting a tense backdrop for the U.S. presidential election. The missiles fell outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone. As voting began in the U.S., Japanese media extensively covered the tight race between Harris and Trump, focusing on battleground states. The Tokyo Stock Exchange extended its trading hours by 30 minutes, closing with a 400-point gain. Domestically, the death of renowned manga artist Kazuo Umezu at 88 was reported. The Constitutional Democratic Party and the Democratic Party for the People confirmed their cooperation on revising political funding laws. Throughout the day, media attention oscillated between the U.S. election developments and their potential impact on Japan's economy and security situation.