Temperatures soared across many parts of Japan on Monday, with the mercury hitting 35 degrees Celsius in portions of the Kanto region. (NHK)

Officials in Tokyo are working on preventive measures to prepare for another possible surge of coronavirus infections. They've set up a team of experts amid a recent daily spike in confirmed cases. (NHK)

My favorite view of Tokyo Tower is here. (ONLY in JAPAN)

The Black Lives Matter movement found a foothold in Tokyo as thousands of protesters marched in the capital on Sunday to protest racism and police brutality, and spread awareness of racial discrimination in Japan amid a wave of demonstrations worldwide following the killing of George Floyd in the United States. (Japan Times)

Kenki Fukuoka, who starred for Japan at last autumn's Rugby World Cup, said Sunday he won't compete in next year's postponed Tokyo Olympics in order to stay on course for a future in medicine. (Kyodo)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Sunday reported 47 new coronavirus infections in the capital, with 18 of them confirmed through a group examination newly initiated in the Kabukicho entertainment district in Shinjuku Ward, Gov. Yuriko Koike said. (Japan Times)

This weekend, shopping streets liek this one in Ginza reopened. Tokyo is back -- but, with conditions. (ONLY in JAPAN)

For the first time in nearly three months, a street in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district has been reopened to pedestrian traffic only. (NHK)

Operators of nightlife establishments will have to keep a record of their customers' names and contact information and ensure social distancing rules as part of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, according to guidelines released by the government on Saturday. (Kyodo)

Karaoke fans in Tokyo got a taste of the “new normal” on Friday, the first day after business closure requests for such establishments were lifted following a fall in new coronavirus cases. (Japan Times)

Next time the kids complain that they never get to do anything cool on the weekends, just take them to this host club. (soranews24.com)

A Japanese railway company has invited members of the media to test-ride a new Shinkansen bullet train model, the N700S series. . (NHK)

Tokyo is the third most expensive city for expats, according to a U.S. consulting firm’s cost of living survey, down from second last year and trailing top-ranked Hong Kong for the third consecutive year. (Japan Times)

Narita is — quiet. More staff than passengers!! Walk with us through the Departures today and the airport shopping area. (ONLY in JAPAN)

Japanese lawmakers have passed a second supplementary budget to blunt the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

A 94-year-old amusement park Toshimaen in Tokyo will be closed at the end of August, its owner said Friday, and part of the site will be used for a new theme park based on the Harry Potter films, due to open in the first half of 2023. (Kyodo)

A Japanese high court on Thursday upheld a lower court's decision that the French head of Mt Gox, a Tokyo-based bitcoin exchange that went bankrupt after a massive hacking attack, was guilty of manipulating electronic data but not embezzlement. (Japan Today)

The annual government-sponsored World War II memorial service, held in Tokyo on Aug. 15 to coincide with the anniversary of Japan’s surrender, will be scaled down this year due to the coronavirus outbreak, the health ministry said Friday. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko has announced her intention to seek a second term as leader of the Japanese capital. (NHK)

About 80% of the facilities needed for next year’s postponed Tokyo Olympics have been lined up, the president of the organizing committee said Friday. (Japan Today)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government said it confirmed 25 coronavirus infections on Friday as it further eased restrictions on business activities to get the economy back on its feet. (Japan Times)

An NHK survey has found that COVID-19 has lingering effects on some patients after testing negative for the virus and being discharged from hospital. (NHK)

One of the key architects of Japan’s coronavirus strategy has hailed the country’s response to the pandemic, saying its approach was more effective than those implemented by Western nations. (Japan Times)

Cairo University in Egypt has issued a statement acknowledging that Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike graduated from the school in 1976, denying media reports that she is faking her academic credentials. (Japan Times)

A Japanese pediatrician who discovered Kawasaki disease -- a syndrome of blood vessel inflammation among young children with unknown causes -- has died. Kawasaki Tomisaku was 95. (NHK)