Japan's health ministry has suggested that many women in the country may have opted out of pregnancy due to the coronavirus epidemic. (NHK)

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and President Joko Widodo have called for continued cooperation on matters including health, security and the economy. (NHK)

The parent company of All Nippon Airways Co. plans to acquire 400 billion yen ($3.8 billion) in loans from five Japanese banks as the airline operator's earnings have sharply deteriorated under the novel coronavirus, sources close to the matter said Wednesday. (Kyodok)

Japan plans to sharply cut the inheritance tax bills for highly skilled overseas professionals working in Japan, Nikkei has learned, as part of a broader scheme to nurture the country's status as a global financial center. (Nikkei)

The new coronavirus has people everywhere avoiding crowded spaces, and in Japan that includes temples. The number of services for the traditional Buddhist holidays of Bon and Higan has fallen, putting some temples under financial strain. (Nikkei)

Cell phone charges in Japan should be cut by around 40 percent from current levels, Yoshihide Suga, the frontrunner to become the next prime minister, said on Friday. (Japan Today)

Three candidates running to replace Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as head of the Liberal Democratic Party appeared in their first public faceoff Tuesday, each casting themselves as best qualified to guide the country through the rest of the novel coronavirus pandemic and to address its sluggish economy. (Japan Times)

Sharp Corp. said Monday that research by the firm has shown that its air purifying technology is able to reduce airborne coronavirus particles, claiming it as a world first. (Japan Times)

The number of people taken to hospital by ambulance due to heatstroke symptoms in Japan in July tumbled about 50 percent from a year before to 8,388, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Wednesday. (Japan Times)

As a heat wave continues to grip much of Japan and send thousands to hospital with heat-related illnesses, medical workers worry that the similarity of symptoms to COVID-19 may place extra pressure on a health care system already creaking under the strain of the coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Today)

Land prices fell in about 40 percent in urban areas in the second quarter, reflecting sluggish demand from hotels and merchants and a slowing of transactions caused by the coronavirus epidemic, a land ministry survey shows. (Japan Times)

As people stay home longer amid the spread of COVID-19 infections, the popularity of pets is increasing, with more people seeking out animals as a buffer against stress. (Japan Times)

Japan's major department store chains say their sales sharply dropped in the first half of August due to the resurgence of the coronavirus, which is keeping many shoppers at home. (NHK)

Japan's Cabinet Office says the country's economy saw a historic downturn in the April-June quarter. GDP contracted by the most in 40 years as the pandemic upended the economy. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 188 new cases of COVID-19 infection Tuesday, holding below the 200 mark for a second straight day, but worries over the spread of the new coronavirus remained amid a heat wave in the middle of the Bon summer holiday period. (Japan Times)

The Cabinet on Friday earmarked ¥1.13 trillion in reserve funds to continue measures to cushion the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Times)

Japan Airlines has posted a big net loss for the April-June quarter, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate the global aviation industry. (NHK)

Japan on Friday pushed back its estimated return to a budget surplus by two years, due to the massive increase in spending needed to support the economy during the coronavirus and putting pressure on the nation’s massive debt burden. (kitco.com)

Japan sharply downgraded its gross domestic product forecasts for this fiscal year, expecting the world's third-largest economy to suffer its biggest contraction in over two decades amid the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. (The Star)

Executives at ANA Holdings are blaming the coronavirus pandemic for the airline's worst quarterly result. They say between April and June the carrier suffered a net loss of more than 1 billion dollars. (NHK)

Analysts at Fitch Ratings say the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has prompted them to cut their outlook for Japan's credit rating. (NHK)

Japan Airlines is expected to report an operating loss of about 120 billion yen ($1.1 billion) for the April-June quarter, swinging from a profit of 21 billion yen during the same period a year ago, Nikkei has learned, due to a sharp decline in passenger demand due to the coronavirus. (Nikkei)

Hanasato, a high-end Japanese restaurant housed in a sprawling mansion surrounded by lush gardens, has been serving traditional multicourse kaiseki cuisine in the suburbs of Yokohama for decades. But on July 19, Hanasato welcomed diners for the last time, ending its 40-year history as a purveyor of traditional Japanese fine dining. (Nikkei)

Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward has seen sharp rises in the number of coronavirus tests and the percentage of those testing positive. (NHK)

The operator of Narita International Airport said Tuesday that it will reopen one of its two runways that has been closed since April due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Times)