There is no need for the public to panic buy and hoard food even if the government declares a state of emergency as a result of novel coronavirus, retail industry and other experts said. (Japan Times)

Two persons from Sendai City have been confirmed with the novel coronavirus after meeting with two Assistant Language Teachers (ALT) who also tested positive, reports Kahoku Shimpo (Mar. 30). (tokyoreporter.com)

Tokyo is bracing for the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Over the past week, the capital has seen a surge in infections and now has the most cases among the country's 47 prefectures. (NHK)

A chartered flight from Manila bound for Haneda Airport in Japan exploded during takeoff on Sunday night. All 8 passengers and crew were killed. (NHK)

Japan confirmed 169 additional coronavirus infections on Sunday, the second largest single-day count following the 200 recorded on the previous day. (NHK)

A survey by an environmental group has found microplastics in 98 out of 100 locations in Japanese rivers and ports. Small pieces of plastic are a potential threat to ecosystems. (NHK)

People mostly avoided cherry blossom-viewing spots in Osaka, western Japan, on Sunday. The Osaka governor has urged people in the prefecture to stay at home this weekend to stop the spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

A low pressure system and a cold air mass brought snow to wide areas of the Kanto and Koshin regions in Japan on Sunday. (NHK)

Masayoshi Son has been among the most fervent believers in the sharing economy, investing billions in startups that help people split the use of cars, rooms and offices. (Japan Times)

Restaurants in Japan are navigating rough waters amid the COVID-19 pandemic, inspiring new ideas as they try to come up with ways to remain afloat. (Japan Times)

Pretty much everyone who visits Nara stops by the park to feed crackers to the deer, so are the smaller crowds leaving them hungry? (soranews24.com)

Non-Japanese speakers who want advice on the new coronavirus can call hotlines run by the Japan Tourism Agency and some local governments. (NHK)

What’s happening in Japan is written all over our faces — our blank, expressionless, masked faces. Never before, it seems safe to say, have so many people gone about masked. (Japan Times)

With the current upheaval caused by COVID-19, Tokyoites have been advised from going outside to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But Tokyo apartments are cramped and constricting, and a solo sojourn in nature can do wonders to alleviate the anxiety the virus is causing. The capital has plenty up its sleeve that means you can bypass popular spots like Ueno Park for a moment of quiet all to yourself. (Japan Times)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave the nation a dire warning Saturday that it could see its hospitals overwhelmed and the death toll skyrocket if the coronavirus gets out of control, but pledged to draw up an economic relief package even bigger than the one used to sustain the economy during the 2008 global financial crisis. (Japan Times)

Japan has reported 200 coronavirus infection cases in a day for the first time. (NHK)

In Japan, college is seen as not only of higher education, but also high fashion. That’s because your four years at university are pretty much your only respite from the uniforms and haircut regulations of middle/high school and the conservative dress codes of most (though not all) Japanese offices. (soranews24.com)

Loss of the ability to smell and taste can be an early sign of coronavirus infection, according to a growing number of reports from around the world. (Nikkei)

A U.S. naval base outside Tokyo has been locked down through the weekend after an aircraft carrier using the base as its home port reported coronavirus infection cases on board, Fox News said Friday, citing U.S. officials. (Japan Today)

The number of passengers using Tokaido Shinkansen line services between March 1 and Wednesday tumbled 55 percent from a year earlier, Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Central) has said. (Japan Times)

The health ministry said Friday 92 passengers and crew members aboard a flight from Chicago to Narita airport near Tokyo were allowed to enter Japan without being asked to self-isolate for 14 days and refrain from using public transport. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has dismissed criticism of his wife attending a gathering to view cherry blossoms at a time when such a meeting is not recommended because of the threat of the coronavirus. (NHK)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has warned that Japan's economy would be hard hit if Tokyo is locked down due to the coronavirus. (NHK)

The parent of Japanese airline All Nippon Airways is looking into a roughly 100 billion yen ($920 million) syndicated loan from seven lenders as the carrier fortifies its balance sheet to cope with the drop-off in air travel demand. (Nikkei)

The governor of Tokyo has again urged people to refrain from non-essential outings, warning that the capital is at a critical juncture in preventing an explosive spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)