Fears of an epidemic on board a cruise ship off Yokohama came to a head Friday as the health ministry reported 41 more coronavirus infections, bringing the total to 61 so far. (Japan Times)

The coronavirus outbreak in China is wreaking havoc in the cruise industry, turning luxury Asian vacations into voyages to nowhere as the ships are denied entry at multiple ports. (Nikkei)

The Tokyo District Court on Thursday sentenced popular Japanese actress Erika Sawajiri to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, for possessing illegal drugs. (Japan Today)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday that Japan has decided to refuse entry to noncitizen passengers on board a luxury cruise ship that is set to arrive in the country later this week as some are suspected to be infected with the new coronavirus. (Japan Times)

The number of criminal offenses recorded by police in 2019 dropped 8.4 percent from the previous year to 748,623, hitting a postwar low for the fifth straight year, the National Police Agency said Thursday. (Japan Times)

Osaka has lost its title as Japan’s bag-snatching capital after the number of cases recorded by police in the prefecture fell by 146 in 2019 from the previous year to 254, police sources said Thursday. (Japan Times)

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics torch relay will start on March 12, 2020, and end on July 24, 2020. Olympics organizers will lit up the torch in Olympia, Greece and take it to Athens after one week. Sports enthusiasts can get the latest sports news about the Olympics at Betway. (newsonjapan.com)

Flights between China and Japan already are down by nearly one-third this month as airlines cut service in response to the coronavirus outbreak, with Osaka and Nagoya hardest hit by the drop in travel. (Nikkei)

A man in his 20s in Kyoto Prefecture has tested positive for coronavirus, the health ministry said Wednesday evening, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 35. (Japan Times)

A man on trial over a fatal knife rampage in 2016 at a care home for people with mental disabilities told a court Wednesday that he committed the murders because he felt “it would be beneficial to society.” (Japan Times)

Slots are so popular these days, they’ve become home to a few tall tales. But, if you want to be a successful slots player, you need to be able to separate the facts from the fiction. (newsonjapan.com)

An 18-year-old high school student was killed Wednesday morning when she was struck by a small landslide while walking through a residential area in the city of Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, local police said. (Japan Today)

As the supply of surgical masks in Japan's stores runs low amid fears of the new coronavirus from China, some have attempted to profit from the situation by offering masks for resale online at rates far higher than retail prices. (Kyodo)

Amid the growing spread of new coronavirus 2019-nCoV, universities and high schools approaching entrance exam season nationwide are setting out precautions for examinees, including allowing them to wear masks during the tests and reimbursing test fees if an infection prevents them from sitting their exams. (Japan Times)

The Hilton group said Tuesday it will open a hotel under its newest luxury brand in Kyoto in autumn 2021, counting on a further upswell in lodging demand from tourists even after the Tokyo Olympics this summer. (Japan Times)

Japan's two biggest airlines say they are slashing the number of flights to and from China because of a slump in demand due to the coronavirus outbreak. (NHK)

Japan's health ministry said on Tuesday that the new coronavirus has been detected in three people whose initial test results were negative. (NHK)

The annual Snow Festival began in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo on Tuesday, hit by fears over the coronavirus outbreak and soaring costs involved in transporting snow to the site amid a warm winter. (Japan Today)

Scientists in Japan say one in two sufferers of the new coronavirus may have been infected by a person with no symptoms at the time. (NHK)

A Yomiuri Shimbun reporter has been arrested by Tokyo police for allegedly using stimulant drugs, police sources said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

Police in Konan, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday arrested a 16-year boy on suspicion of attempted murder after he stabbed his 45-year-old mother with a pair of scissors at their home. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says officials have started developing test kits to detect the new coronavirus in an effort to find infections more swiftly. (NHK)

The suspension of Chinese group tours amid the coronavirus outbreak is taking a toll on major Japanese department stores. (NHK)

Quarantine officials in Japan have boarded a cruise ship to screen its crew and passengers for the coronavirus. The move came after a Hong Kong traveler was found to have been infected, after disembarking in his home city. (NHK)

A Japanese tourism industry body estimates that package tours involving at least 400,000 Chinese tourists will be canceled due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus. (NHK)