Japan will test around 10,000 people for coronavirus antibodies starting from next month, as part of efforts to better understand the deadly infection, health minister Katsunobu Kato said Friday. (Japan Today)

After nearly three decades as a nurse, Hori Narumi was looking forward to retiring this year. But the coronavirus outbreak has put those plans on hold. Japan was struggling with a shortage of nurses even before the epidemic. Now, the situation has reached a crisis point. (NHK)

Kyoto's Aoi Matsuri, one of the city's three main festivals, was held Friday on a scaled-down basis, with the colorful procession that has been a major tourist attraction canceled amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)

Rakuten Mobile Inc on Friday announced that due to the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the company expects a delay in the launch of its 5th generation mobile communications systems (5G) service. (Japan Today)

Nissan Motor has registered with the Japanese government to issue up to 500 billion yen ($4.7 billion) in bonds within two years to prepare for a possible deterioration of earnings by increasing funds on hand. (Nikkei)

Japanese police registered a record-low 20,805 road accidents nationwide in April, data showed Friday, reflecting a decline in vehicle traffic following government requests for people to stay at home due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Today)

A survey by Japan's education ministry shows that 86 percent of kindergartens and schools have remained closed during the state of emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak. (NHK)

The novel coronavirus that is causing the COVID-19 pandemic can be transmitted between domestic cats, even though infected cats may not show any symptoms, according to a research team working in Tokyo and Wisconsin. (Japan Times)

The Ehime Prefectural Government said Thursday that 17 people linked to a hospital in the prefectural capital of Matsuyama had been confirmed as infected with the novel coronavirus. (Japan Times)

With the Olympics postponed due to the coronavirus, top Japanese fencer Ryo Miyake has swapped his metal mask and foil for a bike and backpack as a Tokyo UberEats deliveryman. (Japan Today)

A key strategy to eradicate an organized crime group — typically a tight pyramid organization — is cracking down on the top figures and thereby weakening the group. (Japan Times)

With the world's oldest population and one of the most crowded megacities on the planet as its capital, Japan should have provided a fertile breeding ground for the deadly coronavirus. (Japan Today)

Japan is lifting its state of emergency for about 80 percent of the prefectures ahead of schedule. (NHK)

Japan's government has proposed paying as much as 200,000 yen ($1,870) to students at risk of being unable to afford tuition because of financial losses from the coronavirus pandemic. (Nikkei)

The suicide rate in Japan fell by 20% in April compared with the same time last year, the biggest drop in five years, despite fears the coronavirus pandemic would cause increased stress and many prevention helplines were either not operating or short-staffed. (News Time)

Japan's health ministry will launch large-scale antibody testing to see how widely the coronavirus has spread in the country. (NHK)

In recent years, Japanese edible raw egg standard is having a positive impact on China, the world's largest egg producer and consumer. (newsonjapan.com)

Japan's western prefecture of Osaka has decided to begin gradually lifting a business suspension request it issued to contain the spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

The government said March 5 that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s much-anticipated visit to Japan would be postponed. Given the worsening COVID-19 pandemic, the news was hardly surprising. The next day, the government announced tightened restrictions on travel from China. That prompted criticism from those observers who saw the timing as suggesting that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had held off on the travel restrictions out of consideration for Xi’s visit. (Japan Times)

Business sentiment among workers in Japan with jobs sensitive to economic trends logged a record low for the second consecutive month in April as the novel coronavirus pandemic stalled the nation's business activity, government data showed Wednesday. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government will inject cash into large and mid-size corporations that are struggling in the face of the coronavirus, supplementing low-interest loans and subsidies already in place to help save businesses. (Nikkei)

Kanagawa prefectural police have re-arrested a 24-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman and stealing her underwear in March. (Japan Today)

A record-low number of people passed through Narita Airport during nation's Golden Week holidays as most airlines suspended flights due to the coronavirus pandemic, immigration authorities said Wednesday. (Japan Times)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Wednesday began a study into whether sewage samples can be used to detect signs of a spread of novel coronavirus infections. (Japan Times)

One of Japan's best-known business leaders has given frank insights into the benefits of working during the coronavirus pandemic, saying measures taken to fight the outbreak have sharply cut corporate bureaucracy and given him more time to talk to global peers. (Nikkei)