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)

Japan's minister in charge of coronavirus response says a government panel of experts has approved a domestic tourism campaign that excludes travel plans to and from Tokyo. (NHK)

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an appeal made by an artist against a lower court ruling that found her guilty of obscenity for distributing 3D scans of her own genitalia to supporters in 2013 and 2014. (Japan Times)

Judo's founder Jigoro Kano was decades ahead of his time by empowering women to take up a sport that prizes technique over brute force. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 38-year-old man over the alleged assault of a woman in Toshima Ward after she declined his romantic advances, reports Nippon News Network (July 16). (tokyoreporter.com)

Officials of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government say a record-high 286 new cases of coronavirus infection were confirmed in the Japanese capital on Thursday. (NHK)

The Japanese capital on Thursday recorded its highest number of daily coronavirus infections since the pandemic began, and the lack of an aggressive government response has prompted businesses to undertake their own prevention efforts. (Nikkei)

Japan Meteorological Agency have captured footage of an eruption at Nishinoshima Island, located to the far south of Tokyo. (NHK)