Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has vowed that he will be on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus to overcome the difficulties. (NHK)

Finance Minister Taro Aso pledged Monday to rejuvenate the economy, which has been badly hit by the spread of the coronavirus, and advance structural reforms for the future after the pandemic. (Japan Times)

A person taking Japan's new standardized university entrance exam has been disqualified for failing to wear a mask properly to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

Japan's health ministry plans to establish a system to effectively track foreign nationals who tested positive for coronavirus after entering the country. (NHK)

Suicide rates in Japan have jumped in the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly among women and children, even though they fell in the first wave when the government offered generous handouts to people, a survey found. (theguardian.com)

This is a story of a Japanese family at the end and beginning of the year. (Kimono Mom)

The operator of a number of izakaya pub chains in Japan says it is closing down about 20 percent of its outlets in Tokyo. It hopes to mitigate the impact of shorter business hours due to the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

Rising coronavirus cases are leading Central Japan Railway to take the unprecedented step of requiring thousands of employees to go on paid leave as passenger numbers drop sharply. (NHK)

Shooting in Shinjuku/新宿, Shibuya/渋谷, Asakusa/浅草, Akihabara/秋葉原, showing how the town looks like on the first weekend. (Rion Ishida)

Japan confirmed 7,085 new cases of coronavirus infection as of 6:30 p.m. on Friday. (NHK)

Japan’s new unified university entrance exams started Saturday across the country, with organizers taking anti-coronavirus measures, such as requiring test-takers to wear masks and disinfect their hands, and ensuring that venues are well ventilated. (Japan Times)

Japan's winter resorts are on a slippery financial slope as rising COVID-19 infections deter skiers and snowboarders. (Nikkei)

The state of emergency in Japan to curb COVID-19 has drawn mixed reactions. Many Japanese are questioning how effective it will be. (CNA)

Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Friday that she will ask an advisory panel to consider law revisions to secure expenses for child support after divorce. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government declared a second state of emergency following a surge in coronavirus cases in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures on Jan 7. (Japan Today)

A Sapporo court on Friday ruled as unconstitutional the now-defunct eugenics protection law that mandated the government stop people with disabilities from having children, but it rejected a claim for damages sought by a man in Sapporo. (Japan Times)

A survey has found that university seniors in Japan are having trouble getting jobs, due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

Japanese electronic parts manufacturers are making big investments to scale up output of components for electrified vehicles, seeking to establish a place in the coalescing supply chains for the rapidly growing field. (Nikkei)

Independent watchmaker Masahiro Kikuno makes each of his wristwatches almost entirely by hand, and by himself. In this video, find out how his dedication and passion sustains his craft, and how he hopes to share Japanese culture with the world through his creations. (CNA)

To celebrate the new year, we're taking to the skies to check out Tokyo with an unobstructed view! (JapanPro)

It is less than 200 days until the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics are due to get under way, but among the Japanese public, fears over the virus and the spiralling cost of the Games mean most would rather see the event postponed or cancelled altogether. (FRANCE 24 English)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has confirmed 1,809 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday in the Japanese capital. (NHK)

Police in Wakayama City have arrested a 36-year-old unemployed woman on suspicion of violating the trademark law by selling counterfeit keychains by French luxury brand Chanel. (Japan Today)

An artist won a damages suit Thursday over a claim that a merchants’ association in western Japan copied one of his artworks featuring a telephone booth filled with water and goldfish. (Japan Times)

Japan's government has told sports bodies it will temporarily suspend the current entry exemptions that allow foreign athletes to enter Japan in order to train and compete ahead of this summer's Tokyo Olympics, a source with knowledge of the matter said Thursday. (Kyodo)