The Tokyo Olympic torch relay is winding its way through Japan and is now in the southwestern prefecture of Miyazaki. (NHK)

Japan's third state of emergency to contain the rising number of cases of coronavirus has gone into effect in the nation's capital and three western prefectures. (NHK)

From April 25 to May 11, 2021 for Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto and Tokyo. Prefectural governors have the power to institute changes to closures. (ONLY in JAPAN)

Japan's prime minister has declared the country's third state of emergency of the pandemic to contain rising COVID-19 cases. The measure will take effect in Tokyo, and three western prefectures on Sunday. (NHK)

Japan's tipplers will have to go straight home after a long day at the office as restaurant and bar chains shut down in response to a third coronavirus state of emergency that begins Sunday. (Nikkei)

The western Japanese prefecture of Osaka confirmed 1,097 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday. (NHK)

More than two and a half months have passed since the coup in Myanmar. Although other countries are responding to this situation, they have not been able to have a concrete impact toward stopping the bloodshed that is happening in Myanmar, sparking harsh criticism from observers like the BBC. (thediplomat.com)

The International Olympic Committee has decided to maintain a rule on the Olympic Charter that bans "political, religious or racial propaganda" at fields of play and some other official places at the Tokyo Games. (NHK)

A Japanese operator of a jobs website was valued at 249 billion yen ($2.3 billion) in its trading debut on Thursday, a sign of how investors are betting that Japanese companies will break away from the tradition of hiring employees for their entire careers. (Nikkei)

Japan’s largest travel agency has launched a virtual reality tourism resource that aims to introduce remotely the country’s top destinations, experiences and products amid ongoing pandemic restrictions. (ttgasia.com)

TOKYO (TR) – A man suspected of stabbing two employees at a transport company in Saitama City on Thursday was later apprehended in Tokyo, police have revealed, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

If the Japanese women's football team are to achieve their goal of a gold medal on home soil at this summer's Tokyo Olympics, they must overcome a disjointed preparation caused by the coronavirus pandemic along with a lackluster track record against elite opponents in recent years. (Kyodo)

OSAKA (TR) – A man in Osaka City who tested positive for the novel coronavirus was forced to wait inside an ambulance for a day and a half before being accepted by a hospital. (tokyoreporter.com)

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a male elementary school teacher over the alleged illicit filming of children in Chofu City, reports Kyodo News. (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo will not host its motor show this year because of the global pandemic, organizers said on Thursday (Apr 22), underscoring Japan's struggle to contain both a resurgent outbreak and the widening economic fall-out. (channelnewsasia.com)

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested two 18-year-old university students over the alleged possession of marijuana in Shibuya Ward on Wednesday, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

A South Korean court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a group of people referred to as wartime comfort women and relevant families. (NHK)

The U.S. and Japan showcased the strength and unity of their alliance during last week's summit, but one particular sentence in the joint leaders' statement that followed the meeting conceals a sore spot in the relationship. (Nikkei)

The Japanese government is considering declaring a state of emergency in two of the country's major urban centers to curb a spike in coronavirus cases. (NHK)

Independent power supplier eRex will build Japan's first commercial hydrogen power plant next year to initially supply zero-emission electricity to around 100 households, Nikkei has learned. (Nikkei)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says it confirmed 861 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday. (NHK)

There are less than 100 days to go before the Tokyo Olympics and the torch relay is busy crisscrossing all of Japan’s 47 prefectures. (TIME)

Japan's glacial COVID-19 inoculation push is prompting some foreign residents to consider flying to other countries to get vaccinated, as the pandemic surges again with no shots in sight for everyday people. (Reuters)

The Japanese government may be edging closer to declaring another state of emergency, based on a request from the western prefecture of Osaka. (NHK)

The number of new condo units that went on sale in greater Tokyo last month rose from the same month a year ago. It was the fourth straight monthly increase. (NHK)