Could COVID-19 level the playing field for women workers in Japan and South Korea, countries known for a rigid corporate culture? (eco-business.com)

Fukuoka Prefectural Police have arrested a Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) member who crashed his car into another vehicle in Koga City last year during a high-speed chase by law enforcement, reports the Mainichi Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

Hospitals in areas of Japan hit hard by a resurgent coronavirus outbreak are struggling to accommodate patients, despite far lower case numbers and more beds than in Europe or the U.S. A failure to adjust excessively rosy assumptions as facts on the ground changed is partly responsible for the situation. (Nikkei)

A monthlong state of emergency planned by the Japanese government to contain a resurgence of novel coronavirus infections is expected to knock trillions of yen off private consumption, with some economists predicting the economy will return to contraction. (Japan Times)

Japan’s likely decision to declare a state of emergency in the Tokyo area will most probably trigger a contraction in January-March, analysts say, adding to the headache for policymakers struggling to cushion the blow to the economy from the pandemic. (Reuters)

A 29-year-old man in custody for allegedly dumping the body of a woman in Tochigi Prefecture last year is expected to also be accused of raping the victim, police have revealed, reports TBS News (Jan. 6). (tokyoreporter.com)

A woman was killed and five other people were injured Monday when a taxi driven by a 73-year-old man hit a group of pedestrians on a crosswalk in Tokyo, police said. (Japan Today)

When Yuto Horigome is riding his skateboard with a goofy stance, grinding down rails and executing kick-flips and nollies in Tokyo this summer, he’ll be doing it in hopes of winning a gold medal. (Japan Times)

Japan plans to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures this week, possibly on Thursday at the earliest, and lasting for about one month to curb its largest-yet surge of coronavirus cases, government officials said Monday. (Japan Today)

Japan's economy is expected to make its sharpest rebound in decades this year, with consumption set to pick up toward the end of 2021 as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the broader economy eases. (Kyodo)

The Japanese government has begun considering suspending new entries of foreign nationals under business travel agreements with 11 countries and regions, including China and South Korea, in an effort to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. (Nikkei)

Sales at major department stores in Japan during New Year's fell sharply as the coronavirus pandemic intensified. Managers downsized their sales campaigns, including "lucky bag" offerings, during the seasonal shopping period. (NHK)

The number of coronavirus patients with serious symptoms in Tokyo hit a record 108 on Monday, exceeding the previous high of 105 logged in April last year during the state of emergency amid concerns over hospital capacity. (Kyodo)

This year's first auction of blowfish, or fugu, has been held in the western city of Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture. (NHK)

Japan's government is planning to issue a state of emergency for a second time to contain rising coronavirus cases in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 1,278 new cases of the coronavirus in the Japanese capital on Tuesday, marking the second-highest figure. (NHK)

Traders at Tokyo's Toyosu wholesale market prayed for prosperity in the year ahead as they held their first auction of 2021 on Tuesday. (NHK)

The idea of a tunnel for auto traffic between Japan's main island of Honshu with Hokkaido to the north has gained new momentum after years of being considered a wasteful long shot. (Nikkei)

Although Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike and her counterparts of three neighboring prefectures have requested an emergency declaration by the state over the coronavirus epidemic, the central government remains skeptical about whether a declaration would effectively curb the spread of the contagion. (Japan Times)

Nine people were rushed to hospitals in the capital after choking on sticky mochi rice cakes on Friday and Saturday. One of the victims was later confirmed dead, reports NHK. (tokyoreporter.com)

A member of a criminal syndicate awaiting trial over the alleged murder of two rival gangsters in Kobe City in 2019 has died, authorities have revealed, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says it confirmed 783 new cases of coronavirus infection on Friday. (NHK)

Dozens of volunteers of the Tsukuroi Tokyo Fund spent the first day of 2021 handing out lunches, clothes and offering consultations to homeless people, who lost homes and jobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. (Ruptly)

Japan's Kazuto Ioka successfully defended his WBO super flyweight title for the second time on Thursday in an eighth-round technical knockout of previously unbeaten compatriot and top-ranked contender Kosei Tanaka. (Kyodo)

Postal workers across Japan have begun delivering New Year greeting cards. (NHK)