Medical experts have warned that the number of serious coronavirus cases is expected to rise further, likely overstretching Tokyo's general medical care system. (NHK)

Japan's Imperial Household Agency said Friday it has decided to cancel Emperor Naruhito's annual New Year event at the Imperial Palace due to a recent spike in the number of new cases of the novel coronavirus. (Kyodo)

NHK has learned that the Olympic rings will return to Tokyo Bay on December 1, following safety and maintenance checks. (NHK)

Welcome to Tokorozawa! This town about 30 minutes from Central Tokyo is where you’ll find some of the coolest manhole covers in the world. (ONLY in JAPAN * GO)

Data from mobile phones show that during a three-day holiday through Monday, bigger crowds were seen at some tourist destinations near Tokyo than before the coronavirus outbreak. (NHK)

Japan and China are racing to build a new type of ultrafast, levitating train, seeking to demonstrate their mastery over a technology with big export potential. (Japan Times)

Jiji Press has confirmed the existence of a sword-slashed uniform of a former Ground Self-Defense Force officer attacked by author Yukio Mishima during his failed coup attempt 50 years ago. (Japan Times)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is poised to ask bars and restaurants that serve alcohol to shorten their hours. (NHK)

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has reasserted his country's sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands. He stressed the necessity of avoiding any action that could complicate matters in the waters around the islands. (NHK)

Carlos Ghosn's detention for almost 130 days in a Japanese jail was neither necessary nor reasonable and violated the former Nissan Motor Co. chairman's human rights, a U.N. panel concluded in a harsh critique of Tokyo prosecutors who led the case against him. (Japan Times)

Chinese state media lashed out against Japan and Australia last week over their “confrontational” new defense pact and said the two countries would “pay a corresponding price” if it threatens China’s security. (TomoNews US)

Governors across Japan have called on the government to let them know as soon as possible about any changes to its programs designed to promote travel and dining. (NHK)

Health ministry data has shown the occupancy rate for hospital beds for seriously ill patients as of Wednesday last week rose in 17 of Japan’s 47 prefectures from a week before. (Japan Times)

Infectious disease experts have weighed in on Saturday's decision by the government to review its Go To Travel tourism promotion campaign, criticizing the move as too late and likely to have little effect in preventing the further spread of COVID-19. (Japan Times)

The daily tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan has hit a record for the fourth day and a senior official says Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s government may reimpose limits on sports and other large events to curb the surge. (aljazeera.com)

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 hit off the coast of Japan's eastern prefecture of Ibaraki on Sunday night, but no tsunami warning was issued, according to the weather agency. (Kyodo)

Police in Tokyo said Sunday they have arrested a 20-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of killing a 24-year-old woman who was found stabbed to death in her Kyoto apartment last month. (Japan Today)

On this a three-day holiday weekend here in Japan, plenty of people have been venturing out and traveling, despite the risks of coronavirus infection. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials say 314 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in the Japanese capital on Monday. (NHK)

Previously... My name is Sutan. I'm 19-month-old baby living in Tokyo. My mom suddenly said to go buy a bike. I've never ridden a bike before, so I wasn't too happy about it. Anyway, watch the video to see what happens. (Kimono Mom)

Officials in Japan reported a record 2,586 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday. (NHK)

The overseas outlets of U.S. retail giant Walmart have been burdened by a jinx, the severity of which seems inversely proportional to their distance from the American mainland. In other words, the further away, the weaker their earnings. (Nikkei)

Japan's health ministry says 705 working-age men in their 20's to 50's committed suicide in September. (NHK)

A man being sought over the murder of a 64-year-old homeless woman in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward last week turned himself in at a koban (police box) on Saturday morning. (Japan Today)

Hospital capacity is being tested in the nation’s hardest-hit areas by a third wave of COVID-19 as a growing number of severely ill patients occupy a dwindling number of available beds. (Japan Times)