In October 1958, William Higinbotham reportedly created the world's first video game. Since then, however, the global gaming industry has changed drastically. While there are many factors behind the sector's indisputable growth, Japan's influence can't be understated. (newsonjapan.com)

Veteran Japanese action movie star and singer Tetsuya Watari, known for his role in the hit police drama "Seibu Keisatsu" (Western Police), died of pneumonia at a hospital in Tokyo earlier this week, his office said Friday. He was 78. (Japan Today)

Official figures indicate that Japanese households may be recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19. Spending was down in June, but by a much smaller margin than the month before. (NHK)

The shocking revelations contained in the report "I Was Hit So Many Times I Can't Count," released by Human Rights Watch on July 20 exposing the abuse of child athletes in Japan, came as no surprise to those of us close to the world of Japanese sports administration. (Nikkei)

Kabukicho, a 1-kilometer square commercial area on the northern side of Tokyo’s JR Shinjuku Station, is reputed to be Asia’s largest adult entertainment zone, with an estimated nighttime working population of 23,000 (based on 2014 figures). (Japan Times)

An adviser for a health division at Minato Ward this week provided guidance to bar hostesses in the Roppongi entertainment quarter about how to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus, reports TBS News (July 27). (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police estimate that a bar operator in the Roppongi entertainment district swindled foreigners out of more than 100 million yen annually since 2013, reports the Sankei Shimbun (July 28). (tokyoreporter.com)

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

Hanasato, a high-end Japanese restaurant housed in a sprawling mansion surrounded by lush gardens, has been serving traditional multicourse kaiseki cuisine in the suburbs of Yokohama for decades. But on July 19, Hanasato welcomed diners for the last time, ending its 40-year history as a purveyor of traditional Japanese fine dining. (Nikkei)

With the number of COVID-19 cases once again rising, the debate among government officials, the media and health experts over how, or whether, to once again ask businesses to close down is gaining momentum, though Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the situation isn’t dire enough to declare another state of emergency. (Japan Times)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has conducted inspections of nighttime entertainment areas where the coronavirus is believed to be spreading. (NHK)

Japan's top government spokesperson has suggested that police could inspect bars and nightclubs to check if they are taking strict measures against the coronavirus. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested the manager and an employee of a massage parlor operating illegally in the red-light district of Kabukicho, reports TV Asahi (July 4). (tokyoreporter.com)

Officials in Tokyo are dealing with a jump in coronavirus infections. The number of new cases has now topped 200 for two days in a row. It's the first time that's happened since the start of the pandemic. (NHK)

The number of new daily coronavirus infections in Tokyo hit a single-day record of 224 on Thursday, the metropolitan government said. (Japan Today)

Officials of Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward say they will offer 100,000 yen, or about 930 dollars, to residents infected with the coronavirus. (NHK)

Sources at the Tokyo metropolitan government say 111 coronavirus cases were confirmed in the capital on Sunday. (NHK)

The Tokyo metropolitan government says 131 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in the capital on Saturday. That's the highest since the state of emergency was lifted on May 25. It marks the third straight day with over 100 cases and brings Tokyo's total to 6,654. (NHK)

Officials in Tokyo are reporting 124 new cases on Friday. It's the highest daily tally since a national state of emergency was lifted in late May. (NHK)

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko has called on people to refrain from visiting nightlife districts where coronavirus infections are on the rise. (NHK)

Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea reopened Wednesday with social-distancing measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after closing for some four months over the pandemic. (Kyodo)

Summer is here at last, and Universal Studios Japan finally opened its doors again on Friday. But before you get too excited, make sure you live in or around the cities of Osaka and Kyoto. Otherwise, you won't be able to enter. (Nikkei)

Tokyo confirmed 35 more coronavirus infections Friday, a level lower than the 41 logged on the previous day but still a source of concern after the capital entirely removed its business closure requests earlier in the day. (Japan Times)

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo says the government will lift travel restrictions across prefectural borders on Friday, as the daily number of coronavirus cases continues to fall nationwide, except in a few localities. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 41 new coronavirus infections Thursday, NHK reported, marking the third time this week for the capital to log over 40 cases in a day. (Japan Times)