AKB48 member Kayoko Takita was confirmed to have been infected with coronavirus on Sunday. (soranews24.com)

Japan's government says it will compensate people for cancelation fees for bookings made under a discount program to promote domestic tourism. (NHK)

Two deaths from the coronavirus were confirmed in Japan on Monday, bringing the nationwide total to 1,001. The tally includes 13 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was docked just outside the capital earlier this year. (NHK)

Japan's prefectural governors on Sunday decided to ask the central government to consider excluding more areas from a travel campaign as necessary to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. (Kyodo)

Kanagawa Prefectural Police arrested a 29-year-old male company employee over the alleged fatal stabbing of a man at a residence in Yokohama City early Monday. (tokyoreporter.com)

Japan's health ministry has expanded the criteria for people eligible to undergo coronavirus testing using public funds. (NHK)

Only 23.9 percent of people in Japan are in favor of holding the postponed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics next summer as scheduled and over half are dissatisfied with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's response to the novel coronavirus, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday. (Japan Times)

Sumo began a new tournament in front of a live audience Sunday, despite a steady rise in coronavirus infections, with fans voicing both joy and caution about watching the Japanese spectacle during the pandemic. (thejakartapost.com)

Officials of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 168 new cases of the coronavirus on Monday. (NHK)

The government is considering covering cancellation fees incurred by Tokyoites who were excluded at the last minute from a domestic tourism promotion created to help coronavirus pandemic-hit regions, sources close to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday. (Japan Times)

For a country that is facing a major labor shortage, Japan has been slow in the digitalization of the workplace. (Nikkei)

A woman in Japan got more than she bargained for after visiting the doctor with an irritated throat, as she was told that a worm was living inside her tonsil. (herald-review.com)

An event to pray for the safety and success of the July Grand Sumo Tournament was held on Saturday at an arena in Tokyo. Only a limited number of sumo officials were allowed to attend due to the coronavirus threat. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials reported 290 new cases of coronavirus infection on Saturday. (NHK)

Officials of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 188 cases of coronavirus infection on Sunday. (NHK)

The Trump administration is clearly willing to criticize traditional U.S. allies. (thehill.com)

In this age of Covid-19 coronavirus, the world isn’t exactly our oyster. Although Japan’s sweeping entry ban is still in place, those of us already here are being encouraged to explore our own backyard and see everything the country has to offer. (timeout.com)

Police in Tokyo have arrested a 23-year-old member of a yakuza gang on suspicion of stealing a safe from an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) in May. (Japan Today)

Japan's travel subsidy campaign was thrown into deeper confusion Friday when officials had to quickly clarify a recommendation by the tourism minister regarding the contentious program, with his stance on covering cancellation fees facing opposition from a senior member of the ruling coalition. (Japan Today)

As political bets go, the one Japan’s Shinzo Abe made on Donald Trump in 2016 is proving to be a mistake of historic proportions. (forbes.com)

To borrow a word from a male reporter for Nippon News Network: strange. (tokyoreporter.com)

Re-entry ban causes foreign firms and talent to question long-term plans in Japan (Japan Times)

One of the key questions in Japan’s present national security debate is how to manage China’s “predatory” geoeconomics. (thediplomat.com)

Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics have unveiled a new competition schedule for the Games, which were postponed to next year due to the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

More than 10 universities in Tokyo have decided to continue online classes in the fall semester, the second half of this academic year. The measure comes in response to a resurgence of coronavirus cases in the capital. (NHK)