Baseball is back and it’s in full swing, even if the fans aren’t in the stands. The first weekend would have to be deemed a success and, after all the work it took to get the players back on the diamond, it was great to sit back and enjoy the sound of bat on ball. (scotsman.com)

Scream all you want from the confines of your car at Japan's first drive-thru haunted house. (businessinsider)

Earlier this year, as it became clear that the coronavirus pandemic was not going to pass quickly, the Japanese government delayed plans for what would be the first state visit by a Chinese leader to Tokyo since 2008. (economictimes)

Over 800 coronavirus cases were confirmed in Japan on Sunday. The cases are spreading not only in Tokyo but beyond its borders. (NHK)

A railway operator is testing disinfectant robots at a station in Tokyo to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

Intermittent bouts of torrential rain continue to pound wide areas of Japan. (NHK)

Internationally renowned Japanese fashion designer Yamamoto Kansai has died of leukemia. He was 76. (NHK)

Eight persons connected to a hostess club in Adachi Ward have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the ward revealed on Saturday. (tokyoreporter.com)

Japan Airlines is expected to report an operating loss of about 120 billion yen ($1.1 billion) for the April-June quarter, swinging from a profit of 21 billion yen during the same period a year ago, Nikkei has learned, due to a sharp decline in passenger demand due to the coronavirus. (Nikkei)

The first-ever auction of discarded Self-Defense Forces equipment, including items from a training vessel decommissioned in spring, was held Sunday by an agency affiliated with Japan's Defense Ministry. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government is pushing ahead with plans to get the economy back on track even as the outbreak continues to spread. (NHK)

The National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo reports the number of syphilis cases in the country has topped 3,000 cases, according to the latest Surveillance data table. (outbreaknewstoday.com)

The health ministry will conduct its first nationwide survey, possibly as early as next month, to look into how the coronavirus pandemic has affected mental health, according to ministry and other sources. (Japan Times)

A study of mobile phone location data suggests there were fewer people in Japan's city centers on Saturday than a week earlier, amid a resurgence in the number of coronavirus cases. (NHK)

Austerity induced by social restrictions has slashed expense accounts in Japan as many people remain wary of spending hours in the elegant but closed traditional rooms where geisha entertain. (Reuters)

The Japanese government will ask the business community to ensure that each company has 70 percent or more employees work from home, economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said Sunday. (Japan Times)

Of all the challenges the Bank of Japan expected in 2020, the return of deflation was probably not high on their list. (Nikkei)

Japan's companies spent less than initially estimated in the first quarter of the year, revised data showed on Monday, suggesting the coronavirus pandemic's hit to the economy was deeper than first thought. (yahoo.com)

Deep in the electric-vehicle industry's supply chain is a little-known Japanese manufacturer that makes a seemingly mundane, but essential, device: Coil-winding machines. (gulf-times.com)

As companies close offices in central Tokyo or encourage employees to work from home to stay safe from the coronavirus pandemic, young people are relocating to the suburbs where rents are cheaper, space less at a premium and nature nearer the doorstep. (Japan Times)

Toyota Motor has asked suppliers to lower prices on certain parts, citing sluggish sales and a drop in material costs amid the coronavirus, Nikkei has learned, in a move that could hit earnings in the sprawling supply chain of one of the world's largest automakers. (Nikkei)

Over 150 years ago a group of anonymous artists created a 34-ft long scroll titled He-Gassen (屁合戦), literally: 'Fart Battle.' (thebigsmoke.com.au)

The risk of deadly downpours has risen Japan in recent years due to global warming, adding to people's worries this summer, on top of the coronavirus pandemic. (Nikkei)

Japanese authorities confirmed 468 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday. This brings the total number of infections in the country to more than 30,000, including over 700 cases who were identified onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked near Tokyo earlier this year. (NHK)

Many schools across Japan resumed classes in mid-June after a months-long closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. Teachers are scrambling to get their programs back on track with new educational methods that are both safe and effective. (NHK)