Tokyo Disneyland's new area with attractions featuring characters and sets from 'Beauty and the Beast' will welcome the public starting Sept. 28, operator Oriental Land Co. said Thursday. (Japan Times)

Japan's new prime minister says he will prioritize measures against the coronavirus and its economic fallout. Suga Yoshihide is taking over from Abe Shinzo, a close ally who was Japan's longest-serving prime minister. (NHK)

More than half of Suga Yoshihide's cabinet ministers were part of an Abe government -- a reflection of the new leader's intentions to continue his predecessor's policies. (NHK)

Yoshihide Suga's hometown In northeastern Japan and his constituency in Yokohama, near Tokyo, were in festive moods Wednesday as supporters celebrated his election as Japan's new prime minister. (Kyodo)

Fraudulent e-money withdrawals in Japan have expanded to five other service operators in addition to NTT Docomo Inc, internal affairs minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

Japan's newly expanded opposition Constitutional Democratic Party has been launched, with its leader vowing to challenge the new government set to start on Wednesday. (NHK)

Japanese actress Sei Ashina was found dead at her Tokyo apartment by family on Monday morning, her agency said, following what investigative sources believe was a suicide. (Japan Times)

Japan will resume short-term business travel with Singapore from Sept 18, marking the first time that Tokyo has decided to allow the entry of businesspeople without requiring a 14-day self-isolation period amid the coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Friday. (Japan Today)

The Tokyo metropolitan government on Monday reported 80 new cases of the coronavirus, down 66 from Sunday. The number is the result of 3,234 tests conducted on Sept 11. (Japan Today)

Scary fun preempted by scary reality of pandemic. (soranews24.com)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says it confirmed 146 new cases of the coronavirus in the capital on Sunday. The figure has exceeded 100 for the sixth day in a row. (NHK)

The majority of Japan’s women’s underwear thieves choose easy marks: garments hanging outside the residences of their female owners. (tokyoreporter.com)

Gunma Prefectural Police launched a murder case after the female manager of a love hotel in Maebashi City was fatally stabbed on Thursday, reports Jiji Press (Sept. 10). (tokyoreporter.com)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says it confirmed 226 new cases of the coronavirus in the capital on Saturday. (NHK)

Yokozuna Hakuho and Kakuryu will both miss the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament starting this weekend after deciding to pull out Friday due to injury concerns. (Japan Times)

Eighteen sumo wrestlers at the Tamanoi stable in Tokyo have been confirmed to have the coronavirus. (NHK)

A government panel on the coronavirus outbreak says two prefectures, Okinawa and Ishikawa, still remain at the worst of the four stages in hospital bed availability. (NHK)

Tokyo has lowered its coronavirus alert level by one notch in response to a weekly fall in new cases, after keeping the alert at its highest level on a four-point scale for nearly two months. (NHK)

A 4-year-old boy died after choking on a large grape while eating lunch at a Tokyo kindergarten and police have launched a probe into the accident, investigators said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to end next week its policy of asking establishments serving alcohol in the capital's central 23 wards to close by 10 p.m., as the number of coronavirus cases has been trending downward in recent days, a source familiar with the situation said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Japanese actor Iseya Yusuke, who has starred in numerous movies and TV dramas, has been arrested by Tokyo police on suspicion of possessing marijuana. (NHK)

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)

All Nippon Airways Co. will resume flights from Japan to Hawaii in October after suspending its service to the popular U.S. destination about six months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic, sources familiar with the plan said Monday. (Kyodo)

A senior official of the International Olympic Committee said in an interview with French media that the Tokyo Olympics will go ahead next year regardless of the coronavirus situation. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 77 new cases of the coronavirus in the capital on Monday. It's the first time the daily figure has dropped below 100 since August 24. (NHK)