The number of passengers using Tokaido Shinkansen line services between March 1 and Wednesday tumbled 55 percent from a year earlier, Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Central) has said. (Japan Times)

The health ministry said Friday 92 passengers and crew members aboard a flight from Chicago to Narita airport near Tokyo were allowed to enter Japan without being asked to self-isolate for 14 days and refrain from using public transport. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has dismissed criticism of his wife attending a gathering to view cherry blossoms at a time when such a meeting is not recommended because of the threat of the coronavirus. (NHK)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has warned that Japan's economy would be hard hit if Tokyo is locked down due to the coronavirus. (NHK)

The governor of Tokyo has again urged people to refrain from non-essential outings, warning that the capital is at a critical juncture in preventing an explosive spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

Mask prices in Tokyo’s densely populated 23 wards jumped 11.3 percent in March from a year before, reflecting supply shortages stemming from the spread of COVID-19, government data showed Friday. (Japan Times)

Large queues formed at supermarkets and stores in Tokyo on Friday as residents in the Japanese capital prepared for a weekend at home, after the city's governor called on them to remain indoors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (Japan Today)

Supermarkets and convenience stores decided Thursday to stay open as usual in the coming days, after a request by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike’s for residents in the capital not to leave home over the weekend. (Japan Times)

On Wednesday night, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike asked residents of Japan’s capital to remain home as much as possible over the coming weekend in order to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. Now, one day after Tokyoites were told to stay in their homes, people in all four of its neighboring prefectures are being told to stay out of the city. (soranews24.com)

Germany has decided that saving lives is more important than saving face. In a rather undiplomatic letter to German citizens in Japan posted on the Embassy Of Germany’s web site on March 24, the embassy did not mince words in discussing Japan’s poor handling of coronavirus testing. It warns that we should assume there are a high number of unreported carriers. (japansubculture.com)

Japan's approach to social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic might seem to other nations around the world like it is very social, and not so distant. (Kyodo)

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike’s call for residents to stay indoors this weekend has sent people rushing to supermarkets to stockpile food and other essentials. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 29-year-old man over the alleged molestation of a girl in Sumida Ward earlier this month, reports TBS News (Mar. 26). (tokyoreporter.com)

About 80 percent of COVID-19 patients from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship showed mild symptoms or none at all, according to a report compiled by the Self-Defense Forces Central Hospital. (Japan Times)

The $6 billion that just walked out the door with the postponement of the 2020 Olympics is only the start of the hits Japan's economy will sustain this year. (Nikkei)

Tokyo governor is calling on residents in the city to stay home this coming weekend unless they absolutely need to go out. (NHK)

A day after the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games were postponed by a year, Tokyo's landmark Imperial Hotel began arrangements to release the several hundred rooms it had withheld for organizers of the games during the July-September period. (Nikkei)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 23-year-old man over the alleged molestation of a woman in Kodaira City earlier this month, reports TV Asahi (Mar. 25). (tokyoreporter.com)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach agreed Tuesday to postpone this summer's Tokyo Olympics for one year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Japanese leader said. (NHK)

The International Olympic Committee is initiating talks with organizers as well as the governments of Tokyo and Japan on how to handle the Tokyo Games, including a possible postponement. (NHK)

Life has stayed remarkably normal in Japan’s capital during the coronavirus outbreak, but that could be changing soon. (soranews24.com)

The head of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee has indicated that it would consider the possibility of postponing the games as the coronavirus continues to spread around the world. (NHK)

Japan has reported 47 more infections with the new coronavirus, bringing the total to 1,101 as of Sunday. (NHK)

Despite Japan's efforts to carry out more testing for the new coronavirus, medical experts have cast doubt on whether the country can provide adequate testing for citizens and promote effective policies to contain the outbreak. (Japan Today)

Questions about complacency are being raised as people gather at popular sakura spots in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. (soranews24.com)