Some 300,000 coronavirus masks sent to pregnant women in Japan as part of a government handout have been found to be faulty, media reported on Tuesday, the latest in a string of complaints about how the government has dealt with the epidemic. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials reported 112 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, after the daily tally in the capital fell below 100 for two straight days. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has clarified Gov. Yuriko Koike's statement that all pachinko parlors in Tokyo have complied with requests to suspend business as of Tuesday morning, after at least four were found to still be operating in the afternoon. (Japan Times)

At any given time, seven out of eight beds in the intensive care unit of St Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo are taken up by critically ill coronavirus patients. (Japan Today)

As the coronavirus outbreak leaves Japan's academic calendar in limbo, prominent figures advocate moving the start of the year from April to September, in line with common practice overseas. (Nikkei)

The Bank of Japan expanded monetary stimulus on Monday and pledged to buy unlimited amount of bonds to keep borrowing costs low as the government tries to spend its way out of the deepening economic pain from the coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Times)

Although not targeted by authorities for closure requests under measures to battle the spread of COVID-19, many bookstores in major metropolitan regions of Japan have chosen to bring down the shutters or curtail opening hours, dealing a blow to book and magazine publishers alike. (Kyodo)

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan increased to 13,613 on Monday as 172 new cases were reported nationwide. (NHK)

A unit of Japanese medical diagnostics company Miraca Holdings has applied for government approval of a coronavirus testing kit that can produce results much faster than current mainstay tests. (Nikkei)

The Unko Museum reconnects you with your poop and takes your mind off the crap of social distancing. (soranews24.com)

Prefectures are increasingly moving to extend school closure periods to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus. (Japan Times)

The coronavirus outbreak has left the sports world in a state of suspended animation, with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics among major events put on hold. (Japan Times)

Pedestrian traffic dropped between 50 and 80 percent in major urban areas over the weekend as the central government continues to weigh an extension of its nationwide state of emergency declaration. (Japan Times)

Most of Japan's 47 prefectures are likely to face a shortage of beds in intensive care units for treating severe coronavirus patients under a peak scenario envisaged by the government, a Kyodo News study shows. (Japan Today)

The government is poised to expropriate unreasonably high-priced face masks for domestic distribution to ease shortages amid the coronavirus outbreak, Jiji Press learned Saturday. (Japan Times)

Tokyo officials reported 72 new coronavirus cases on Sunday. It is the first time in about two weeks that the number of infections fell below 100 in the capital. (NHK)

In a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus, authorities around Japan are pleading for residents to refrain from going out ahead of one of the country's biggest holiday periods. In Tokyo, the metropolitan government has dubbed the 12-day period through May 6, "stay-at-home week." (NHK)

Coronavirus fears left the nation's normally jam-packed bullet trains and expressways deserted on the first day of Golden Week on Saturday as the pace of infections showed little sign of slowing. (Japan Times)

In an ominous sign of what may lie ahead, the number of bankruptcies has been steadily creeping higher. (Japan Times)

Two Tokyo men in their 80's, who were told by doctors to stay at home despite having developed fevers, were posthumously found to have contracted coronavirus. (NHK)

A sumo stablemaster and five wrestlers have contracted the new coronavirus, the Japan Sumo Association said Saturday, casting doubts on whether next month's Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo can go ahead as scheduled. (Japan Today)

Universities are set to subsidize online classes amid the nationwide state of emergency called over the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Times)

A month at home in isolation may seem like an eternity for those unaccustomed to a lack of person-to-person contact, but the experiences of Japan's large numbers of "hikikomori," or social recluses, may offer some hints on how to stay sane during the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)

Since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a nationwide state of emergency on April 16 in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, people have been looking for ways to keep fresh produce on the table without making extra trips to the supermarket. From individual farmers to cooperatives, here are six ways to bring sustenance to your doorstep. (Japan Times)

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan increased to 12,756 on Friday as 327 new cases were reported nationwide. (NHK)