Katsuyuki Mori, a former member of superstar pop idol group SMAP, won the national championship Tuesday in auto race, a Japanese version of motorcycle speedway which allows gambling on races. (Kyodo)

Nearly half of kodomo shokudō eateries in Japan, which offer free or low-priced meals to children from families in need, have no prospects of restarting services amid the novel coronavirus epidemic, according to a survey. (Japan Times)

Hokkaido Prefectural Police are planning to question a man who is suspected of stabbing his former wife in Chitose City on Monday before attempting to take his life, reports NHK (Nov. 2). (tokyoreporter.com)

A wintertime illumination event has started in Kabukicho, a nightlife district in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward that was hit hard by the economic impact of the coronavirus. (NHK)

Japanese police suspect involvement of a group of Vietnamese behind the disappearance of hundreds of pigs and chickens, as well as thousands of pears and peaches, from farms this year in eastern Japan. (Japan Today)

A new survey shows that more people moved out of Tokyo than migrated to the metropolis in the six months through September amid the spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

Cruise ship operations have resumed at Yokohama Port, near Tokyo, after an eight-month suspension due to the coronavirus outbreak. (NHK)

Police have arrested a 36-year-old man on suspicion of theft after he stole a wallet from a sleeping passenger on a train in Tokyo early Sunday morning. (Japan Today)

A PCR testing center has opened at Narita Airport near Tokyo for passengers who need proof of a negative coronavirus test result before traveling overseas. (NHK)

East Japan Railway Company is urging passengers to be more careful in train stations to avoid dropping their wireless earphones on railway tracks. (NHK)

Visitors to Tokyo's largest food market once again have the chance to watch the famed tuna auction up close. (NHK)

Camping in Japan has gained newfound appeal amid the coronavirus pandemic as an outdoor activity that a wide range of generations can enjoy while maintaining social distancing. (Kyodo)

Voters in the western Japanese city of Osaka have voted to reject a plan to reorganize the city into four special wards similar to those in Tokyo. (NHK)

Police in Japan have arrested a Vietnamese national on suspicion of illegally butchering a pig in his apartment in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo. (NHK)

Halloween revelers in costume were few and far between in central Tokyo this year after local officials asked people to refrain from celebrating because of the coronavirus. (NHK)

Halloween celebrations in Tokyo's Shibuya district and elsewhere in Japan were subdued Saturday night with smaller crowds than in past years, as local authorities called for people to stay home and watch online events to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. (Kyodo)

Hironori Sakamoto and his wife plan to spend the next few nights at a spacious, fully furnished two-story house with a large wooden deck in Kitami, a quiet suburb in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward. (Japan Times)

The frozen food business has a century-long history in Japan, giving it a solid foundation to prosper from the exigencies of the pandemic, which has forced increasing numbers of people to eat and work at home. (Nikkei)

Mobile phone carrier KDDI Corp. said Friday that it will launch a new low-cost mobile subsidiary specializing in online services. (Japan Times)

Tokyo police are on standby against possible trouble as Halloween crowds are expected to gather this weekend in districts like Shibuya. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested popular actor Kentaro Ito over an alleged hit-and-run accident in Shibuya Ward on Wednesday, reports TV Asahi (Oct. 29). (tokyoreporter.com)

About two-thirds of corporations listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's first section are forecasting losses or a fall in profits for fiscal 2020. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested five persons, including a member of a criminal syndicate, who are suspected of trafficking and cultivating marijuana in Gunma Prefecture, reports NHK (Oct. 29). (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo's Sumida Aquarium attracts plenty of visitors to its spooky exhibit of Halloween jellyfish, which look like ghostly translucent figures floating in the water. (AFP)

The number of people who stayed at hotels and other accommodations in Japan fell by almost half in September compared with a year earlier. (NHK)