All Nippon Airways Co. is planning for 5,000 of its cabin attendants to take a few days of leave starting April due to flight cancellations forced by the spread of the new coronavirus, sources close to the matter said Thursday. (Kyodo)

A government panel of medical experts said Thursday that schools can reopen in areas without new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections, proposing to relax the current nationwide approach to pre-empt a further spread. (Kyodo)

Japanese boy idol band Arashi's compilation of hit singles was the world's best-selling album in 2019, becoming the first Japanese artists to claim the spot, a global music industry group said Thursday. (Kyodo)

On March 3, in response to the yearlong #KuToo protest against employers forcing working women to follow impractical dress codes, like mandatory high heels, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that this should not be allowed. (Nikkei)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has begun to shift his messaging on the Tokyo Olympics, in a sign he may have accepted that the deadly coronavirus will make it necessary to postpone the event planned to start in July. (Japan Times)

Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso on Wednesday referred to the 2020 Olympics as "cursed" due to mounting speculation that the Games may need to be postponed or canceled over the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)

Japan has yet to reach a peak in coronavirus infections, with the number of new cases on a declining trend in Hokkaido but the number of infected people rising in Aichi and Hyogo prefectures, a Kyodo News study showed Tuesday. (Kyodo)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Saturday the government will launch a scheme to extend zero interest loans with no collateral to small and midsized companies reeling from the new-coronavirus turmoil. (Kyodo)

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will begin flight tests in June to develop technology for the reuse of the first stages of launch vehicles, a government source said Saturday. (Kyodo)

Many schools in major Japanese cities are providing open classrooms for students after the government's decision to close all elementary, junior high and high schools from March 2 over coronavirus fears as a large number of parents have no other way to look after their children, a Kyodo News survey showed Saturday. (Kyodo)

The Tokyo Olympics organizing committee informed the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday of its plans to cope with conditions related to the current coronavirus outbreak during the torch relay starting from March 26. (Kyodo)

A man in his 70s has died in Hokkaido, northern Japan, after being infected with the new coronavirus, the local government said Sunday, bringing the domestic death toll to 12. (Kyodo)

Kanagawa Prefecture and government-backed research institute Riken said Thursday they have developed a testing method that can detect the new coronavirus in 30 minutes, far shorter than the six hours required with current tests. (Kyodo)

All Nippon Airways Co. said Tuesday it will suspend all remaining flights from Kansai airport in Osaka to China next month due to a drop in demand following a coronavirus outbreak in the neighboring country. (Kyodo)

Japan's Supreme Court rejected Tuesday calls by three survivors of 1945 U.S. atomic bombings to be recognized as sufferers of radiation diseases, which would cut their medical payments, ruling they do not meet the conditions for those in need of treatment. (Kyodo)

The Yomiuri Giants said Tuesday their two preseason games against Central League rival Yakult Swallows on the weekend will be played behind closed doors at Tokyo Dome amid the spread of a new coronavirus. (Kyodo)

The world-famous Ghibli Museum in Tokyo, featuring the works of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, will be closed from Tuesday through March 17 due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Kyodo)

Emperor Naruhito, on the occasion of his 60th birthday on Sunday, thanked the people for supporting him since he ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne last year and reiterated his determination to fulfill his symbolic role, while expressing sympathy for those affected by the outbreak of the new coronavirus. (Kyodo)

A man in his 60s confirmed to have been infected with the COVID-19 virus drove a total of 10 Kyodo News staff members in a hired vehicle from late January to early February, the news service said Tuesday, confirming that it had notified member organizations. (Japan Times)

The approval rate for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet stands at 41.0 percent, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday, down 8.3 points from the previous poll in January and marking the sharpest fall in nearly two years amid yet another cronyism scandal. (Kyodo)

The number of new coronavirus infections among passengers and crew of the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined near Tokyo has risen by 70 to 355, the government said Sunday, while more domestic cases were also reported and experts warned the situation could worsen. (Kyodo)

Popular Japanese singer-songwriter Noriyuki Makihara was arrested Thursday for allegedly possessing illegal drugs at his home in Tokyo, police said. (Kyodo)

Regular flights between mainland China and at least 13 regional airports in Japan will be completely suspended due to the outbreak of a new coronavirus, airport operators said Monday. (Kyodo)

Japan's Cabinet will approve next week emergency measures against a new coronavirus to strengthen screenings and provide financial support to the tourism industry, a source close to the matter said Saturday. (Kyodo)

The top diplomats of Japan and Britain agreed Saturday to work quickly toward a bilateral trade deal that will be "at least as ambitious" as Japan's agreement with the European Union. (Kyodo)