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)

A Tokyo man has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a 9-year-old schoolgirl he met through an online game and confining her for more than two days, with investigative sources saying he had invited her to play together via the game's voice chat function. (Kyodo)

The Tokyo metropolitan government on Sunday reported 116 new cases of the coronavirus, down 65 from Saturday. The number is the result of 5,024 tests conducted on Sept 3. (Japan Today)

A Japanese vocalist has won the first place at the 27th International Johannes Brahms Competition in Poertschach, Austria. (NHK)

These are are the most used and popular Japanese slang today. These must-know Japanese words are used commonly by younger Japanese people but also used by older ones. (Paolo fromTOKYO)

The Tokyo metropolitan government on Saturday reported 181 new cases of the coronavirus, up 75 from Friday. Of the total, 74 are in their 20s and 30s. (Japan Today)

A Japanese government panel has discussed measures to prevent coronavirus infections for the "Go To Eat" campaign, designed to help the restaurant industry hit hard by the outbreak. (NHK)

A 46-year-old Japanese man wanted in connection with a murder in Tokyo 17 years ago has been arrested after giving up on his life on the run in South Africa due to the coronavirus, which left him without work or money, Japanese police said Friday. (Japan Times)