Swimming star Rikako Ikee, recovering from leukemia, claimed a Tokyo Olympics berth in the women's 4x100 freestyle relay on Thursday after winning the 100-meter freestyle at Japan's national championships. (Japan Today)

Osaka Prefecture reported a record 918 new coronavirus cases on Saturday amid growing signs of a fourth wave of the pandemic driven by new variants. (Japan Times)

Members of a government panel on the coronavirus say the spread of infections in Japan this winter was aggravated by people attending year-end parties, especially in nightlife districts after 9 p.m. (NHK)

The Sleeper Express train SUNRISE SETO & IZUMO is the only train in Japan that runs every day. (Kuga's Travel)

The Japanese government will enforce stricter coronavirus measures in Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa from Monday without declaring a state of emergency. (NHK)

Japanese researchers have found that the British coronavirus variant found in Japan is on average 1.32 times as transmissible as the original virus. (NHK)

Japan's health ministry says three of its employees have tested positive for the coronavirus after attending a farewell party last month at a restaurant in Tokyo. (NHK)

A Japanese karate official will quit after being accused of bullying a champion set to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, he has told a local newspaper. (yahoo.com)

Japan's western prefecture of Osaka has declared a medical "red alert," and reported a record 878 new cases of coronavirus infections on Wednesday. Osaka's daily cases have topped Tokyo's for more than a week. (NHK)

Japan’s western region of Osaka will hold the Olympic torch relay in a park without spectators instead of on public roads, as record coronavirus infections prompted its government to declare a medical emergency on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Martial arts performer Koshiro Minamoto’s hope to introduce Bugaku, or warrior dance, to foreign visitors during the Tokyo Olympics faded after Japan decided to ban overseas spectators to prevent Covid-19 spread. (South China Morning Post)

In this first episode we travel to Kanayama near Hidatakayama to explore the boulders that are created in unique formations, which makes for a climbing experience like no other. (EpicTV)

Pixar’s hit franchise serves as the inspiration for a new class of Tokyo Disney Resort accommodations. (soranews24.com)

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested an employee at a transportation company at Haneda Airport who is suspected of stealing breathing masks from women, reports TBS News (April 8). (tokyoreporter.com)

Osaka and two other prefectures in Japan are tightening coronavirus measures to curb a spike in new cases. (NHK)

The Japanese government on Tuesday rushed to gather information about the announcement by North Korea that it will skip this summer's Tokyo Olympics in order to protect its athletes from the novel coronavirus. (Japan Times)

Organizers of the Tokyo Olympic torch relay in Osaka Prefecture have called for holding the event in the capital city of Osaka at alternative sites amid a rise in the number of coronavirus cases. (NHK)

Prefectural government officials in Osaka, western Japan, reported 719 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday. That is the highest number ever recorded in the prefecture. (NHK)

Shin Okubo has many hidden spots for delicious food. ()

Osaka Prefecture says a record 666 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed on Saturday. (NHK)

High school and university students in Japan have started a weekly walkout from school to call for action to address climate change. (NHK)

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has used his official Twitter account to call on the country's young people to observe anti-coronavirus measures. (NHK)

All Nippon Airways looks to sate the curiosity of those who wish to dine in the first-class cabin, debuting a service that raises revenue even while the planes remain grounded during the coronavirus pandemic. (Nikkei)

Foreign tourists in Japan spent 744.6 billion yen ($6.7 billion) in 2020, the lowest since the survey began in 2010, as the coronavirus pandemic has led to restrictions on entry into the country, a government estimate showed Wednesday. (Kyodo)

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, postponed due to Covid-19, will finally open on July 23 – with the Paralympics following from August 24 – although the organising committee has decided there will be no foreign fans and volunteers. (South China Morning Post)