Customers must also undergo four-stage disinfecting process before being seated. (soranews24.com)

Japan is scrambling to house an often overlooked group of homeless people who slept in internet cafes now shut due to coronavirus lockdowns, with a petition to open the Olympic Village in Tokyo to them garnering support. (Japan Today)

The Japanese government is to call on companies in Tokyo and 12 prefectures that are on a special coronavirus alert to reduce by at least 70 percent the number of their employees traveling to work. (NHK)

Police in Tokyo have arrested a 60-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of murder and attempted murder after he attacked a father and son over a noise dispute in their apartment building on Monday night. (Japan Today)

People in Japan traditionally display colorful carp-shaped streamers for Children's Day on May 5. Yamada Town in the northeast aimed a little higher than usual this year due to the coronavirus, which has kept many kids at home for the country's week-long spring holiday. (NHK)

A strip club in the famous Dogo hot spring resort in western Japan has been forced to look to crowdfunding to ensure it can survive the coronavirus spread with tourists and longtime customers staying away. (Japan Times)

Interstellar Technologies, a Japanese startup, was primed to test-launch its demonstration rocket on May 2. But less than four days before the countdown, the project was abruptly blocked by a town in Hokkaido, northern Japan, which cited coronavirus concerns. (Nikkei)

Bankruptcies due to the effects of the new coronavirus sharply increased in Japan in April, with the number reaching nearly 90, especially affecting small and medium-sized firms in the tourism and accommodation sectors, a recent survey showed. (Japan Today)

Japan's decision to extend its state of emergency through the end of this month will knock another 1 to 2 percentage points from economic growth this fiscal year, experts predict, as consumers stuck at home amid the coronavirus pandemic keep their wallets closed. (Nikkei)

Graffiti directing threats at residents of Wuhan, the epicenter of China's coronavirus outbreak, has been found in a public restroom at the war-linked Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, police said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

Japan's health ministry is set to change the criteria for allowing people to be tested for the coronavirus. (NHK)

The Japanese government confirmed 120 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, the lowest level since April, as the total number of cases topped 16,000 and the death toll rose by 10 from the previous day to reach 579. (Kyodo)

The Tokyo metropolitan government said Tuesday it will give more financial aid to small and medium-sized businesses in the capital that agree to its request to suspend operations until the end of this month in an effort to prevent the further spread of the new coronavirus. (Japan Today)

Japan reported 176 new coronavirus cases and 20 deaths on Monday. (NHK)

The Japanese government's decision to extend the state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak is putting further pressure on restaurants and other businesses in Japan. (NHK)

As the central government prepares to extend the national state of emergency for the coronavirus until May 31, Osaka is moving forward with a plan that could reopen more businesses in the area by the middle of the month. (Japan Times)

The estimated child population in Japan has dropped for the 39th consecutive year to reach a record low despite efforts to tackle the long-standing decline in the birthrate, according to the latest government data. (Japan Times)

Japan's coronavirus testing has been insufficient by international standards as the nation lacked the capacity to respond to a new epidemic outbreak, the government conceded Monday, recognizing a serious roadblock to reopening the economy. (Nikkei)

The Japan Sumo Association is set to cancel its May tournament as the government is preparing to extend the nationwide state of emergency for the coronavirus outbreak until the end of the month. (NHK)

Thanks to best-selling (and surprisingly therapeutic) games such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the Nintendo Switch has become a massive hit during the pandemic. There's just one problem for Nintendo Co.: It can't make the consoles fast enough. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government has decided to extend a nationwide state of emergency until the end of this month. It was originally set to expire on Wednesday. (NHK)

Brilliant unbeaten colt Contrail now has the Japanese triple crown in his sights after landing the 80th running of the Satsuki-sho. He saw off the challenge of third-favourite Salios to secure victory at Nakayama Racecourse. (newsonjapan.com)

Workers in eateries, tourism and other industries hit by the new coronavirus pandemic as well as parents appealed to the government for more financial and other support as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe extended the nationwide state of emergency on Monday by over three weeks. (Kyodo)

Analysts believe Japan's GDP shrank in the January-March quarter due to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak. (NHK)

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan increased to 15,077 on Sunday as 200 new cases were announced nationwide. (NHK)