The government has secured over 210,000 hotel rooms nationwide to accommodate those with mild coronavirus symptoms as well as asymptomatic patients as the country tries to contain the spread of the virus, a Cabinet minister said Sunday. (Japan Times)

For traditional Japanese crafts and their contemporary iterations, On: Design is taking a look at four Japanese channels that introduce some of the nation’s artisans through visually stunning shorts. (Japan Times)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s decision to dole out ¥100,000 per person from state coffers to offset the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic has given rise to a number of questions. The most pressing: Who is eligible for the cash? (Japan Times)

J-pop megastar returns to the central Japan mountain range with “Dare ni mo Iwanai” (“I Won’t Tell Anybody”). (soranews24.com)

Hospitals in Japan are increasingly turning away sick people as the country struggles with surging coronavirus infections and its emergency medical system collapses. (Japan Today)

The coronavirus pandemic is reducing the incomes of a wide range of nonregular workers across the nation, according to a survey by the Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government's cautious approach to broadening coronavirus testing has created a dilemma for people who suspect they have been exposed to the virus and are choosing to stay at a hotel at their own expense. (Japan Today)

As the coronavirus pandemic rages unabated, nations around the world have started looking at each other to understand how they might impede the virus' spread. (Kyodo)

Around the last week of February, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the nationwide closure of schools until further notice. However, despite that announcement, some schools have decided to re-open early. (soranews24.com)

Netflix Inc said on Friday it had made some documentary features and series, including Our Planet and Explained, available on the company's YouTube channel for free at the request of teachers. (Japan Today)

The economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic risks creating another lost generation of young Japanese job seekers graduating into a deeply scarred economy. (Nikkei)

City streets and tourist hot spots in Japan are quiet on the first weekend since a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak was expanded nationwide. (NHK)

Japan's Miyagi Prefecture said Friday a Japanese Black wagyu calf, conceived with freeze-dried semen, had been born in a breakthrough expected to lead the way to stably storing genetic resources of the premium beef. (Kyodo)

About 60 percent of employees in Tokyo and six other prefectures still commute to offices despite the state of emergency declared to curb the coronavirus pandemic, a think tank survey showed Friday. (Japan Times)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to see people apply for universal 100,000 yen ($930) cash payouts online or via mail to ensure the assistance gets to them quickly, possibly in May. (Nikkei)

A more than 130-year-old lane in Osaka lined with cherry blossoms has been closed to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, but Kyodo News, permitted by authorities to use a drone around the area, on Friday captured images and footage of the flowers that attract nearly 700,000 visitors a week every spring. (Kyodo)

Japan's health ministry on Friday decided to double reimbursement to hospitals for treatment of severely ill coronavirus patients, seeking to help ensure the health care system has enough capacity and staff to handle the rising tide of cases. (Nikkei)

The Japanese parliament enacted legislation Friday to boost protection of the genetic materials of wagyu beef cattle, such as fertilized eggs and semen, amid concern over illegal breeding efforts overseas on the back of the growing popularity of the premium beef. (Kyodo)

Prefectural governors on Friday urged the central government to be firmer in asking the public not to travel during the upcoming Golden Week holidays after it expanded a state of emergency to cover the entire country. (Japan Times)

Japan will begin conducting antibody tests for cases of coronavirus infection as early as this month, the country's health minister announced Friday, saying he hoped the move would help combat the outbreak more effectively. (Nikkei)

Japan’s top airlines are operating a majority of their domestic capacity even though COVID-19 has caused seats on flights to be left mostly empty, amid a lack of clear government directives on the functioning of transport infrastructure during the crisis. (Japan Times)

Poor exchange rate with the metaphysical plane was not enough to cover his pack of smokes. (soranews24.com)

The distribution of government-issued cloth face masks that are to be provided to every household in the country in the effort to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak began in Tokyo on Friday. (Japan Times)

Japan's Prime Minister Abe Shinzo says he plans to provide a blanket cash handout of 100,000 yen, or about 930 dollars, per person as part of economic measures to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. (NHK)

Japan’s cabinet said on Friday an official had tested positive for the coronavirus, making him the third case among officials at the cabinet office. (Reuters)