The Japanese government's decision to extend the state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak is putting further pressure on restaurants and other businesses in Japan. (NHK)

As the central government prepares to extend the national state of emergency for the coronavirus until May 31, Osaka is moving forward with a plan that could reopen more businesses in the area by the middle of the month. (Japan Times)

The Japan Sumo Association is set to cancel its May tournament as the government is preparing to extend the nationwide state of emergency for the coronavirus outbreak until the end of the month. (NHK)

Workers in eateries, tourism and other industries hit by the new coronavirus pandemic as well as parents appealed to the government for more financial and other support as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe extended the nationwide state of emergency on Monday by over three weeks. (Kyodo)

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan increased to 15,077 on Sunday as 200 new cases were announced nationwide. (NHK)

The government has decided to allow the reopening of parks, museums, libraries and other public facilities in areas with high coronavirus counts and to ease its request for slashing social contact, a senior official said Sunday. (Japan Times)

Cases of hospitals in Japan turning away patients on ambulance transports, mostly because they are suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus, increased more than fivefold in April from a year earlier, a survey by Kyodo News showed Saturday. (Kyodo)

Japan's state of emergency due to coronavirus outbreak continues to bring an unusual quiet to roads, transportation and tourist spots in the holiday period that began in late April. (NHK)

To help contain the spread of the coronavirus, many Japanese universities have closed or transitioned to online classes to keep their students and staff safe. (Japan Today)

Two prefectures have issued orders to a total of four pachinko parlors still operating despite the ongoing state of emergency to shut their doors, reports Fuji News Network (May 2). (tokyoreporter.com)

Dimly lit, stinky and dirty, toilets at a park in Yamaguchi Prefecture are scaring away local children and sparking calls from citizens for renovations. (Japan Times)

The government’s annual Cool Biz energy-saving campaign for late spring and summer kicked off across Japan on Friday. (Japan Today)

Tracking an infectious disease isn’t easy. Whether it’s a smartphone, newspaper or television, facts and figures seem to leap from every surface one comes across. (Japan Times)

Just 29 of Japan's 47 municipalities hosting prefectural government offices are planning to start emergency cash handouts within May, a Kyodo News tally showed Friday, in a sign that the novel coronavirus pandemic has complicated administrative efforts to swiftly implement relief measures. (Kyodo)

The transport ministry started thermographic boarding checks at four more airports Friday to contain the novel coronavirus. (Japan Times)

Workers providing essential services in Japan during the coronavirus crisis are not only facing a higher risk of infection than most but are also often being treated poorly by those they are helping. (Japan Today)

Employers and universities have welcomed the growing debate on pushing back the Japanese academic year's start to September, hoping to encourage more students to study abroad and expand the nation's pool of globally competitive talent. (Nikkei)

Police in Tokyo on Thursday arrested a 57-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of attempted murder after he stabbed a 61-year-old police counselor in a koban (police box). (Japan Today)

Companies poised to benefit from the changes wrought by the coronavirus pandemic have emerged as drivers of a budding recovery in Japan's stock market. (Nikkei)

Rakuten Inc. said Thursday that it will suspend sales of a coronavirus test kit for corporate customers. (Japan Times)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that the Tokyo Olympics could not take place next year in its perfect shape unless the coronavirus pandemic is contained. (Japan Times)

Disruption to the inbound flow of foreign trainees caused by the coronavirus pandemic has created labor shortages in Japan's agricultural sector and led farmers to turn to workers in the tourism industry as a stop-gap measure. (Japan Today)

Traffic was thin at major transportation hubs and highways throughout Japan at the start of the country's week-long spring holiday on Wednesday. This comes amid a government request for people to refrain from traveling due to the coronavirus outbreak. (NHK)

Food delivery companies are offering steep discounts during Japan's Golden Week holiday, as they fight for a slice an industry that is growing rapidly, partly due to the new coronavirus outbreak. (Nikkei)

A woman her 70s living in in Tokyo’s Arakawa Ward became the victim of an apoden, or “telephone appointment,” scam after receiving a call from a man impersonating her older brother, which resulted in her being conned out of 14.2 million yen. (Japan Today)