Colorful kimono are synonymous with Tokyo summer celebrations but anti-coronavirus measures have put social gatherings off-limits and led struggling department stores to push the traditional Japanese outfits as a way to make a virtual fashion statement. (Japan Times)

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines says it believes more than 1,000 tons of oil have leaked from a bulk carrier that ran aground off Mauritius in the Indian Ocean on July 25. (NHK)

Kaushik Kumar really loves Japan and has wanted to live here long-term for a while now, even though he knew he’d always be “treated like a foreigner.” (Japan Times)

Japan was blanketed by sweltering heat on Sunday. Temperatures in many areas rose above 35 degrees Celsius, putting people's health at risk. (NHK)

Japan’s population continues to become more international, but the situation might be changing soon. (soranews24.com)

In a town with a dying population, we find hundreds of scarecrows, zero children, and a voice that I hope I never forget. (Tokyo Lens)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says 331 new cases of the coronavirus had been confirmed as of 3 p.m. on Sunday. (NHK)

Many Japanese will be taking their summer holiday over the weekend amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (CNA)

A high school girl from Saitama Prefecture who used a game console to alert police after a 44-year-old man confined her inside his residence had been there for one month, police have revealed, reports TV Asahi (Aug. 7). (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested popular manga author Tatsuya Matsuki over the alleged molestation of a middle school girl in Nakano Ward earlier this year, reports Sankei Sports (Aug. 8). (tokyoreporter.com)

Toyama Prefectural Police have arrested a 22-year-old man for allegedly setting fire to the corpse of his girlfriend at their residence in Takaoka City, reports Jiji Press (Aug. 9). (tokyoreporter.com)

Teachers and education officials are calling for students to pay special heed to the risk of heat exhaustion this summer as schools across Japan shorten their summer holidays and hold more classes than usual to make up for closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Times)

Japan confirmed a record 1,597 new coronavirus infections on Friday, as cases continue to mount throughout the country, particularly in urban areas like Tokyo and Osaka. (Kyodo)

Ayumi Sato is trying to be careful. But she's had enough. Lockdown fatigue is setting in for Sato, a 34-year-old stock trader who lives in Tokyo, and she's not alone. (CNN)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 35-year-old man who is suspected of swindling multiple women he met online, reports Fuji News Network (Aug. 7). (tokyoreporter.com)

Temperatures rose above 35 degrees Celsius in central Tokyo for the first time this summer as a sweltering heat wave continues in Japan. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says 429 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed as of 3 p.m. on Saturday. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says that on Friday 462 people were confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus. (NHK)

While Japan is widely considered to be a safe society to live in, the problem of “chikan” (gropers and perverts who engage in lewd behaviour like taking photos up women’s skirts) still persists in crowded spaces like trains and train stations. (soranews24.com)

Shizuoka Prefectural Police have arrested four persons, including an American English teacher, for allegedly carrying out a ruse known as “international romance fraud,” reports NHK (Aug. 4). (tokyoreporter.com)

Chiba Prefectural Police have arrested four persons over the alleged cultivation of marijuana, an operation that is believed to have funded organized crime, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Aug. 6). (tokyoreporter.com)

Kanagawa Prefectural Police arrested an assemblyman for Tokyo’s Minato Ward on suspicion of indecent exposure in Kawasaki City on Thursday, reports NHK (Aug. 6). (tokyoreporter.com)

The mother of a cast member of popular reality TV show "Terrace House" who apparently committed suicide said Thursday she plans to pursue charges against those responsible for cyberbullying her daughter. (Kyodo)

A huge Olympic rings monument in Tokyo Bay has been temporarily removed for safety checks. (NHK)

Tokyo confirmed 360 new cases of COVID-19 infection on Thursday, its 10th consecutive day reporting over 200, the metropolitan government said, while Osaka, Kanagawa and Chiba reported record-high numbers. (Japan Times)