Shodai suffered his first loss at the November Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday and appeared to further aggravate a left ankle injury, leaving his further participation in the 15-day meet in doubt. (Kyodo)

A 23-year-old woman in custody for allegedly burying the body of her newborn at a park in Minato Ward last year has been further accused of murder, police have revealed, reports the Mainichi Shimbun (Nov. 11). (tokyoreporter.com)

A 71-year-old former Hiratsuka City staff member is suspected of defacing dozens of vehicles, police have revealed, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 8). (tokyoreporter.com)

As coronavirus cases surge in a number of places in Japan, most notably Hokkaido in the far north and Tokyo, the government’s task force on the pandemic has warned that more needs to be done to head off a deeper crisis in the coming winter months. (scmp.com)

Japan's tobacco companies have long held on to an unwritten rule: never raise the cost of a pack of cigarettes more than a single coin. (Nikkei)

East Japan Railway Co. said Tuesday it will conduct autonomous test runs of its E7-series shinkansen bullet trains next fall, with the aim of operating such automated trains in the future amid a labor shortage. (Kyodo)

Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a school vice principal for allegedly smearing his own bodily fluid on a girl inside a train, reports Jiji Press (Nov. 9). (tokyoreporter.com)

The number of suicides in Japan rose for a fourth straight month in October. (NHK)

Ozeki Asanoyama withdrew from the ongoing November Grand Sumo Tournament with a deltoid muscle injury to his right shoulder, the Japan Sumo Association said Tuesday. (Kyodo)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 29-year-old elementary school teacher for allegedly engaging in sex with a boy he met online, reports TBS News (Nov. 10). (tokyoreporter.com)

Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday began taking online applications for refunds on tickets to the games, which have been postponed until next summer because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)

Although U.S. President Donald Trump continues to stew over the election’s outcome, the Japanese government is already moving ahead with the conclusion shared by most world leaders: Democratic challenger Joe Biden will be the next leader of the United States. (Japan Times)

Gifu Prefectural Police have arrested a 22-year-old man for intentionally driving his vehicle into a river in Gifu City last week with his girlfriend inside, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 7). (tokyoreporter.com)

Hokkaido confirmed 200 new cases of the novel coronavirus Monday, prefectural government officials said, hitting the 200 threshold for the first time amid a worrying surge in cases in some areas of the country. (Japan Times)

The 33rd Tokyo International Film Festival came to a close Monday, with a screwball romantic comedy by Japanese director Akiko Ohku winning the sole award to be bestowed this year amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodok)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 35-year-old man who is suspected of drugging and raping an intoxicated woman earlier this year, reports Fuji News Network (Nov. 9). (tokyoreporter.com)

A man and a woman jumped to their deaths from an 18-floor apartment building in Tokyo on Sunday night. (Japan Today)

SoftBank Group said Monday its first-half net profit soared 346.7%, sealing a strong recovery after a massive annual loss, as tech stocks rally and the firm sheds assets to shore up its finances. (Japan Times)

Resurgent komusubi Terunofuji handed ozeki Asanoyama his first defeat on Monday, the second day of the November Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a member of a criminal syndicate over the alleged swindle of an elderly man last year, reports TBS News (Nov. 5). (tokyoreporter.com)

Hayato Sakamoto reached Japan's iconic 2,000-hit mark in the first inning of the Yomiuri Giants' game against the Yakult Swallows on Sunday, arriving at the milestone in his 14th season in Nippon Professional Baseball. (Japan Times)

The transition to a new US administration will have worldwide implications. People in Japan have been speaking about their expectations for the next president's handling of global issues. (NHKn)

Japan will ease entry restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus for athletes who will travel to the country for competition or training in the run-up to next summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. (Japan Today)

In the COVID-19 era, billions of people around the world wonder what leaders are doing to contain the economic fallout. For the Japanese, though, it is less about what than where. (Nikkei)

Ozeki wrestlers Takakeisho, Asanoyama and Shodai made winning starts Sunday at the November Grand Sumo Tournament. (Kyodo)