TOKYO (TR) – Over the past few months, Tokyo Metropolitan Police have been busting maid cafes in Chiyoda Ward for operating without licenses, reports the Asahi Shimbun (May 20). (tokyoreporter.com)

Some theaters and theme parks in Tokyo have begun to open conditionally in the past week while taking thorough measures to prevent coronavirus infections while under the government’s extended third state of emergency over the pandemic. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Disney Resort operator Oriental Land Co. on Wednesday reported a loss for the year ended March, its first annual red ink since listing in 1996, due to record-low visitor numbers as a result of the temporary closure of its theme parks and subsequent capacity limits amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)

TOKYO (TR) – A man suspected of stabbing two employees at a transport company in Saitama City on Thursday was later apprehended in Tokyo, police have revealed, reports TV Asahi (tokyoreporter.com)

Members of a government panel on the coronavirus say the spread of infections in Japan this winter was aggravated by people attending year-end parties, especially in nightlife districts after 9 p.m. (NHK)

A Japanese start-up is working to create man-made meteor showers for use in mass entertainment. (South China Morning Post)

Osaka and two other prefectures in Japan are tightening coronavirus measures to curb a spike in new cases. (NHK)

All Nippon Airways looks to sate the curiosity of those who wish to dine in the first-class cabin, debuting a service that raises revenue even while the planes remain grounded during the coronavirus pandemic. (Nikkei)

Universal Studios Japan in the western city of Osaka marked its 20th anniversary Wednesday, but without any large-scale events to celebrate the occasion due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a former star on YouTube who is suspected of soliciting nude photographs from girls, reports NHK (March 17). (tokyoreporter.com)

Evenings are normally the busiest time at Mikado, a retro gaming arcade in Tokyo, but these days the shutters come down early, leaving Street Fighter fans out in the cold. (malaymail.com)

A popular hostess has issued an apology after her club in the Kabukicho red-light district was busted for operating outside of legal hours. (tokyoreporter.com)

Netflix will raise the prices of its streaming plans in Japan by up to 13% on Friday, leveraging a subscriber base that has expanded sharply amid the pandemic to invest in its growing library of original content, Nikkei has learned. (Nikkei)

It is common to see non-Korean members in K-pop groups these days, but they were not really considered by the agencies that create such bands until recently. (Korea Times)

The use of masks for television personalities on camera is recently garnering debate among the public and entertainment industry in Japan after news anchors on a major broadcaster began wearing them during a program. (Kyodo)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested four persons for the illegal recruitment of female pedestrians to work at hostess clubs in the Roppongi entertainment district last year, reports TBS News (tokyoreporter.com)

Deep losses for the operator of Tokyo Disney Resort illustrate how Japan's leisure and entertainment companies are reeling from capacity limits and other restrictions tied to the coronavirus pandemic. (Nikkei)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 72-year-old woman who allegedly posed as the sister of enka singer Miyako Otsuki in swindling a female acquaintance, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (tokyoreporter.com)

Japan’s prime minister, Yoshihide Suga, has declared a state of emergency in the greater Tokyo area after a record number of coronavirus cases were reported in the capital and across the country. (theguardian.com)

The Japanese pop group Arashi has suspended its activities as a group as of the turn of the year. (NHK)

Pop singer Ayumi Hamazaki has cancelled her New Year’s Eve performance after a performer in her group tested positive for the novel coronavirus, her agency said on Tuesday. (tokyoreporter.com)

Nao Fukushi, a member of idol group SKE48, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and more than one dozen fellow members have been deemed to have been close contacts, the group revealed on Sunday. (tokyoreporter.com)

An 18-meter kinetic statue of Gundam, a famous anime robot, was revealed to the public at the Gundam Factory Yokohama complex southwest of Tokyo on Saturday. (Nikkei)

Actor Ren Ozawa on Tuesday took to Twitter to apologize after the emergence of a report outlining alleged domestic violence carried out by him toward his former girlfriend. (tokyoreporter.com)

Prominent Japanese comedian and actor Masao Komatsu, known for the comedy song 'Shirakedori Ondo,' died of liver cancer at a Tokyo hospital on Monday. He was 78. (Japan Times)