The government has agreed to allow professional athletes and coaches, including those with pro baseball and soccer teams, to enter Japan provided they undergo strict anti-virus measures, a source with knowledge of the matter said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga confirmed Thursday that the government will lift the coronavirus state of emergency in Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures on Sunday, although restrictions on hard-hit restaurants and bars will remain in place. (Nikkei)

Communications minister Ryota Takeda admitted Thursday that he dined with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. President Jun Sawada, as had been reported by a weekly magazine. (Japan Times)

Universal Studios Japan has opened a hotly anticipated theme park zone featuring the Nintendo character Mario. The launch comes 8 months later than planned as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

Japanese Formula One rookie Yuki Tsunoda plans to throw caution to the wind when he makes his race debut next week in Bahrain, vowing to "give everything" in the season-opener. (Japan Today)

Technicians at a Chinese company affiliated with the Japanese provider of the Line chat app had access to personal information of users in Japan. (Nikkei)

Former Japan soccer international Takayuki Morimoto was arrested Tuesday for driving while intoxicated and causing an accident in Paraguay, where he recently signed for first-division side Sportivo Luqueno, local media reported. (Kyodo)

A Sapporo court ruled Wednesday that the government's failure to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional in the country's first judicial ruling on marriage equality. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government will lift the state of emergency in the capital region on March 21, as the pressure on hospitals in Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures ease and more beds become available. (Nikkei)

A nuclear power plant on the Sea of Japan coast had been vulnerable to unauthorized entry in around a dozen locations since March last year, after its security system lost partial functionality and backups were not effective, the country's nuclear regulatory body said Tuesday. (Kyodo)

The Tokyo District Court on Tuesday sentenced a 49-year-old man to 2 1/2 years in prison for involuntarily causing bodily injury to a 53-year-old man whom he poked in the eye with an umbrella, causing the victim to lose his sight in one eye. (Japan Today)

The mother of Hana Kimura, a cast member from popular reality TV show “Terrace House” who apparently took her own life after being subjected to hateful messages online, has sued a man for posting distressing comments about her after her daughter’s death, the mother’s lawyers said Wednesday. (Japan Times)

Many public health centers in Japan are suspending HIV antibody tests, which had been available for free and under anonymity, as they are too busy dealing with the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Times)

The Imperial Hotel Tokyo, a historic luxury hotel renowned for hosting international dignitaries as well as the world's rich and famous, will experience a nearly $2 billion reconstruction with a reopening slated for fiscal 2036, Nikkei has learned. (Nikkei)

Violence between security forces and protesters has threatened Myanmar's status as a hub for clothing manufacturing, with the Japanese parent of Uniqlo reporting two supplier factories have been set on fire in the latest unrest to rock the country's garment industry. (Nikkei)

Spectators will be barred from the start of the Tokyo Olympics torch relay, organizers said Monday, announcing a pared-back launch as the countdown to the postponed Games begins in earnest. (Japan Today)

Japan's government is considering cash payments to low-income, child-rearing households to help them make ends meet amid the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

Japan will establish an advisory panel next week to solicit views from experts on ways to secure a stable imperial succession, the top government spokesman said Tuesday, amid concerns over the dwindling number of royal family members. (Japan Times)

Japanese worshippers prayed for the safety of themselves and their families by walking barefoot with Buddhist monks over smoldering coals at an annual festival near Mt. Takaosan. (Reuters)

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan is supporting Vietnam and Ghana to realize their sustainable and independent medical care systems for medium and long term. (外務省 / MOFA)

Consumers in Japan continued to keep a tight hold on their wallets in the second half of last month. (NHK)

A 12-year-old Japanese girl is set to become the youngest second-dan professional player of the board game Go. (NHK)

Japan is reviewing the idea of vaccine passports as part of efforts to allow Japanese to travel overseas, Taro Kono, minister in charge of the inoculation program, said on Monday. (Nikkei)

Have you ever thought of collecting trash as a fun activity? The street performance group Trash Cleaning Samurai from Japan took picking up trash to the next level by performing as samurai. (Asian Boss)

Nissan has developed a new public transportation model for Namie, a coastal town in Japan impacted by 2011 earthquake. (Nissan)