Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has ordered measures to promote teleworking, in step with a nationwide effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

The Bank of Japan expanded monetary stimulus on Monday and pledged to buy unlimited amount of bonds to keep borrowing costs low as the government tries to spend its way out of the deepening economic pain from the coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Times)

Japan is a country full of people who are heading toward voluntary extinction. That's a dramatic statement to begin any article with, but it's true. (newsonjapan.com)

Although not targeted by authorities for closure requests under measures to battle the spread of COVID-19, many bookstores in major metropolitan regions of Japan have chosen to bring down the shutters or curtail opening hours, dealing a blow to book and magazine publishers alike. (Kyodo)

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan increased to 13,613 on Monday as 172 new cases were reported nationwide. (NHK)

A Nikkei Asian Review article last Friday reported that it took an average of 5.5 days to get a positive COVID-19 test result in Japan but that the time it takes has grown to 7.3 days because Japan was “slow to get businesses involved” in the testing. (Japan Times)

The opposition Democratic Party for the People plans to propose that the start of the new school year be delayed to September, rather than April, this year amid school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Times)

A unit of Japanese medical diagnostics company Miraca Holdings has applied for government approval of a coronavirus testing kit that can produce results much faster than current mainstay tests. (Nikkei)

Higher fares, fewer routes, preflight health checks and less free food: The coronavirus pandemic is ushering in a new era of air travel. (Japan Times)

Japan will deny entry to foreign travelers from a further 14 countries, including Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, strengthening its border controls to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said. (Japan Times)

The Unko Museum reconnects you with your poop and takes your mind off the crap of social distancing. (soranews24.com)

Japanese drugmaker Shionogi and Co. said Monday that it is developing a coronavirus vaccine with the help of insects and aiming to start clinical trials this year. (Nikkei)

The government on Monday submitted to parliament a Y25.69 trillion ($240 billion) reworked supplementary budget to fund a package of emergency measures aimed at mitigating the economic impacts of COVID-19. (Japan Times)

Prefectures are increasingly moving to extend school closure periods to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus. (Japan Times)

Under normal circumstances, Golden Week is a time many look forward to in Japan. Consisting of a loose string of national holidays starting from April 29 to May 6, Golden Week sees a large influx of travel as people spend the week vacationing or visiting relatives in more rural parts of Japan. (soranews24.com)

The coronavirus outbreak has left the sports world in a state of suspended animation, with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics among major events put on hold. (Japan Times)

The daily news reports on the COVID-19 pandemic tell us how many people have been newly infected, but less attention seems to be paid to how many lives have been lost. Since the ultimate purpose of the fight against the novel coronavirus is to save lives, it is crucial to take a closer look at the number of fatalities. (Japan Times)

Pedestrian traffic dropped between 50 and 80 percent in major urban areas over the weekend as the central government continues to weigh an extension of its nationwide state of emergency declaration. (Japan Times)

A key government official in charge of Japan's economic response to the coronavirus outbreak called off his public appearances on Saturday to work from home after it was discovered that he had been in contact with a member of staff who tested for the coronavirus. (Japan Today)

Most of Japan's 47 prefectures are likely to face a shortage of beds in intensive care units for treating severe coronavirus patients under a peak scenario envisaged by the government, a Kyodo News study shows. (Japan Today)

The government is poised to expropriate unreasonably high-priced face masks for domestic distribution to ease shortages amid the coronavirus outbreak, Jiji Press learned Saturday. (Japan Times)

The Bank of Japan has unveiled a package of additional measures to stimulate the economy and help companies hit hard by the coronavirus. (NHK)

A ruling party candidate won a seat in a lower house by-election in central Japan held under a state of emergency over the coronavirus, providing relief to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe whose response to the pandemic has been criticized. (Kyodo)

A 24-year-old unemployed man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and robbery after he stabbed a 23-year-old woman, who works for a real estate agency, while she was showing him an apartment in Yokohama on Saturday. (Japan Today)

One in every 13 university students in Japan is considering leaving school as the coronavirus outbreak has left many of them without a source of income or financial support, a recent survey has found. (Japan Times)