Kyoto's Aoi Matsuri, one of the city's three main festivals, was held Friday on a scaled-down basis, with the colorful procession that has been a major tourist attraction canceled amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Thursday said his body is preparing to spend up to $800 million for extra costs necessitated by the one-year postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. (Kyodo)

A man who received money from former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai to support his wife's election campaign told prosecutors he had been tasked with winning votes for her from supporters of an incumbent lawmaker, sources close to the matter said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

Empress Masako fed mulberry leaves to silkworms at the Imperial Palace on Monday, marking her first act of sericulture, an imperial tradition passed down since the late 19th century. (Kyodo)

Medical experts have called for extra vigilance regarding heat-related illnesses this summer, amid growing fears that the wearing of face masks to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus could cause breathing difficulties and dehydration. (Kyodo)

The launch of a new domestic rugby competition in Japan, originally scheduled for fall next year, may be delayed due to the one-year postponement of the Summer Olympics, a Japan Rugby Football Union executive said Monday. (Kyodo)

A number of Japanese celebrities took to Twitter this weekend to criticize the government's attempt to extend the retirement age for prosecutors, with one warning the move could "destroy" the country. (Kyodo)

The outbreak of the new coronavirus has sent the number of passengers on domestic and international flights plunging more than 95 percent from a year earlier during Japan's Golden Week holidays, Japanese airlines said Friday. (Kyodo)

All Nippon Airways Co. has eased its company dress code that mandated female cabin attendants and ground staff wear high heels, the company said Friday. (Kyodo)

Japanese pharmaceutical company Shionogi said Friday it aims to launch a vaccine for the novel coronavirus as early as fall next year, as it is preparing to begin clinical trials by the end of the year. (Kyodo)

Japan’s health ministry has asked testing facilities for COVID-19 not to rely heavily on chemicals produced by one foreign company, as authorities are concerned that a supply shortage could complicate efforts to increase the country’s capacity to carry out polymerase chain reaction tests, sources said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government confirmed 120 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, the lowest level since April, as the total number of cases topped 16,000 and the death toll rose by 10 from the previous day to reach 579. (Kyodo)

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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 Bank of Japan has unveiled a package of additional measures to stimulate the economy and help companies hit hard by the coronavirus. (NHK)

A ruling party candidate won a seat in a lower house by-election in central Japan held under a state of emergency over the coronavirus, providing relief to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe whose response to the pandemic has been criticized. (Kyodo)

About 20 companies in Japan will start accepting "partnership certificates" in July for same-sex couples issued by a nongovernmental organization as a way of providing employees with spousal and familial benefits available to straight married couples, people familiar with the matter said Saturday. (Kyodo)

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)

An additional 43 crew members on an Italian cruise ship docked for repairs in Nagasaki, southwestern Japan, have tested positive for coronavirus, the Nagasaki prefectural government said Friday, bringing the total number of infections to 91. (Kyodo)

Japan's health ministry on Friday unveiled a list of more than 10,000 medical clinics accepting new patients for online diagnoses in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus among doctors and patients. (Kyodo)