Japanese academic societies and universities are demanding that Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide explain why he refused to appoint six nominees for membership in the Science Council of Japan. (NHK)

More than 20 persons connected to a hostess club in Sapporo City’s top red-light district have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the city has revealed, reports Fuji News Network. (tokyoreporter.com)

Japan is set to conditionally exempt business travelers and returnees from the 14-day quarantine policy currently imposed on all overseas arrivals to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, government sources said Wednesday. (Kyodo)

This summer, there was an event that was supposed to take place in Japan that not only people across the nation, but all around the world were looking forward to. (soranews24.com)

Next year's Tokyo Marathon will be rescheduled from March to the fall due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, sources said Wednesday. (Japan Times)

The IOC and local organizers are trying to “simplify” the postponed Tokyo Olympics, promising to save money in what one study says is already the most expensive Summer Olympics on record. (Japan Today)

Over the past few years, there have been increased suggestions that Formula One could host a street race in Japan by 2025. Hirofumi Yoshimura – the current major of Osaka – has stated his desire for Yumeshima Island to host the country’s first-ever street-orientated Grand Prix. (newsonjapan.com)

Japan and South Korea have agreed to reopen business and other travel between the two countries on Thursday. (NHK)

Popular Japanese actress Suzu Hirose has been infected with the novel coronavirus without experiencing any symptoms so far, her agency said Tuesday. (Kyodo)

As regulated gambling spreads across other parts of Asia, attention always returns to Japan. There have been strong laws controlling gambling here for years, and it seems like this is one area that lawmakers will not return to any time soon. Let's take a closer look at the current status of gambling here as it currently stands. (newsonjapan.com)

The Lotte Marines announced Tuesday a total 11 top-team players and staff have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, but the club's Pacific League game against the Orix Buffaloes went ahead as planned. (Japan Today)

As the government-subsidized Go To Travel tourism promotion campaign picks up steam with the recent inclusion of travel to and from Tokyo, tour companies are rushing to offer travel packages, with some apparently over the top. (Japan Times)

A group of advocates of the Japanese Constitution has accused Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide of violating academic freedom by refusing to appoint six nominees for membership of the Science Council. (NHK)

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo here Tuesday in the new Japanese leader's first cabinet-level meeting with a foreign official since taking office last month. (Nikkei)

A local politician of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has come under fire for claiming last month that his north Tokyo ward would "cease to exist" if the rights of sexual minorities are protected by law. (Japan Times)

An ordinance to keep tabs on crossbow owners was passed Monday in Hyogo Prefecture, in response to a fatal shooting in June in which a local man killed three members of his family and seriously injured another. (Japan Times)

Low-cost carrier AirAsia Japan says it will discontinue all of its flight routes and close down operations in the country. It says it cannot expect a recovery in passenger demand because of the impact of Covid-19. (NHK)

A barbecue party held in a closed, crowded and close-contact setting may have led to the spread of the coronavirus among Ground Self-Defense Force personnel, officials of the Defense Ministry's Ground Staff Office said Monday. (Japan Times)

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A system glitch that led to the worst-ever all-day outage on the Tokyo bourse late last week was due to a memory breakdown in trading system hardware and a setting error, the bourse said Monday. (Japan Times)

The best hand-colored photos of the 19th century came from Japan. (Vox)

These days, the section of Tokyo Station serving regional destinations is a shadow of its former self. Gone are the usual crowds, and on a mid-week afternoon in late September, just a handful of commuters browsed bento-box stores. (Japan Times)

Nippon Professional Baseball and the J. League will explore the possibility of raising the current caps on attendance, a process that will include consultations with an epidemiologist, among others, the two leagues announced following the latest meeting of their joint COVID-19 task force on Monday. (Japan Times)

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Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday fought back against speculation that the rejection of six scholars to the Science Council of Japan is attributed to their criticism of national security legislation approved under then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Japan Times)