The Hokkaido government on Tuesday officially raised its alert level in Sapporo, asking the city's residents to avoid nonessential outings and refrain from visiting other areas in the prefecture amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. (Japan Times)

The International Olympic Committee has awarded former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo its highest honor for his contribution to the Olympic movement. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 22-year-old man over a hit-and-run incident in Shinjuku Ward that left two persons hurt earlier this year, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Nov. 16). (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo's benchmark stock index closed above the 26-thousand mark on Tuesday for the first time in more than 29 years. (NHK)

A subtle change in Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's phrasing of a key Japanese foreign policy concept -- a "free and open Indo-Pacific" -- has raised questions about whether Tokyo has shifted its stance. (Kyodo)

Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has conveyed to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison hope for a stronger bilateral partnership to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Tuesday reported 298 new cases of the coronavirus, up 118 from Monday. The number is the result of 3,647 tests conducted on Nov 14. (Japan Today)

A woman died after what is believed to have been an assault along a highway in Shibuya Ward on Monday, police have revealed, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 16). (tokyoreporter.com)

A 47-year-old man in custody in connection with the disappearance of his wife earlier this year has been further accused of dumping her body, police have revealed, reports TBS News (Nov. 14). (tokyoreporter.com)

Shizuoka Prefectural Police on Friday revealed that skeletal remains found on a beach in Shimoda City last month are of a child, reports the Shizuoka Shimbun (Nov. 14). (tokyoreporter.com)

Children cheered on the launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft at a Japanese elementary school from which astronaut Noguchi Soichi graduated. (NHK)

Officials in Japan reported 1,434 new cases of coronavirus infection on Sunday. (NHK)

24hours of Japanese 19 month-old-baby. My name is Sutan. I'm 19month-old baby living in Tokyo. This is my, realistic day from the time I wake up in the morning until I go to bed. (Kimono Mom)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says officials confirmed 352 new coronavirus cases in the Japanese capital on Saturday. (NHK)

A record 1,705 new coronavirus cases were reported in Japan on Friday, surpassing the previous high set on Thursday. The prime minister is calling for renewed vigilance. (NHK)

Rural Japan has been on a long, steady decline for decades, but the pandemic now has some seriously considering a life outside the cities. (VICE Asia)

Officials at Japan's main international gateway are preparing to take delivery of some eagerly awaited cargo. (NHK)

Japanese Nobel Prize winner in physics Koshiba Masatoshi died on Thursday at a hospital in Tokyo. He was 94. (NHK)

The defense team for former Nissan executive Greg Kelly began questioning a key prosecution witness in a Tokyo court this week, seeking to show the alleged underreporting of income of his boss Carlos Ghosn was devised by others at the automaker. (Japan Today)

A woman in custody in Amagasaki City was found last month to have concealed illegal drugs inside her underwear, police have revealed, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Nov. 11). (tokyoreporter.com)

The J. League on Thursday announced that the Levain Cup final will take place on Jan. 4, 2021 at Tokyo’s National Stadium, nearly two months after the game’s original date. (Japan Times)

Japan on Thursday confirmed 1,660 new cases of coronavirus, a record daily high since the outbreak of the virus earlier this year, amid signs of what some health experts refer to as a possible "third wave" of infections as the winter season approaches. (Kyodo)

East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) said Tuesday that it will run a reward point program for a year from next spring to further promote staggered commuting. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly drugging and raping a woman earlier this year, reports TV Asahi (Nov. 12). (tokyoreporter.com)

Japan is planning to exempt foreign visitors for next summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics from its 14-day quarantine requirement if they are from countries or regions with relatively fewer novel coronavirus cases, a government panel said Thursday. (Kyodo)