Ninety-one people at a high school in Shimane Prefecture have tested positive in recent days for the novel coronavirus in a cluster outbreak centered on the boys’ soccer team, according to local authorities. (Japan Times)

The number of people using public transport in Japan is much lower than normal for the time of year due to a surge in coronavirus infections. The Bon holiday period normally sees many visiting their hometown. (NHK)

Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have held talks with the top disarmament affairs official of the United Nations. (NHK)

Fukuoka Prefectural Police shot and wounded a man wielding a knife at an apartment complex in Fukuoka City’s Minami Ward on Sunday, reports Fuji News Network (Aug. 10). (tokyoreporter.com)

The cumulative total of COVD-19 infections in Japan surpassed 50,000 on Monday, including about 700 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama in February. (Japan Times)

Researchers at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan say a large number of meteors will be visible on Wednesday night if the conditions are right. (NHK)

Narita Airport, one of the main travel hubs for the Tokyo area, has already begun to make changes to keep travelers and workers safe in the coronavirus era. (Nikkei)

SoftBank Group on Tuesday reported a net profit of 1.25 trillion yen ($11.8 billion) in the April-June quarter thanks to the merger and sale of its stake in U.S. mobile carrier Sprint, marking a return to profit after suffering its worst ever loss in the previous quarter. (Nikkei)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says 197 people were confirmed to have been infected with the new coronavirus on Monday. (NHK)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 188 new cases of COVID-19 infection Tuesday, holding below the 200 mark for a second straight day, but worries over the spread of the new coronavirus remained amid a heat wave in the middle of the Bon summer holiday period. (Japan Times)

A search for a misplaced bag by a 37-year-old male teacher led to his arrest over the alleged rape of an intoxicated college student at a karaoke parlor in Sagamihara City, police said, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Aug. 9). (tokyoreporter.com)

Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo says he will work to prevent the elderly and other vulnerable people from contracting the coronavirus to avoid declaring another state of emergency. (NHK)

Sweltering heat continued in Japan on Monday, with temperatures topping 38 degrees Celsius in some eastern and western parts of the country. (NHK)

Colorful kimono are synonymous with Tokyo summer celebrations but anti-coronavirus measures have put social gatherings off-limits and led struggling department stores to push the traditional Japanese outfits as a way to make a virtual fashion statement. (Japan Times)

Despite uncertainties from COVID-19, top Japanese corporations plan to invest 15.8% more in information technology in fiscal 2020 to keep up the wave of digitization across industries. (Nikkei)

Japan's male smoking rate fell below 30 percent for the first time in 2019, slipping to 28.8 percent, down 2.3 percentage points from the previous study in 2016, according to a health ministry survey. (Japan Today)

Unreported World is in Japan to meet some of the country's 'Junior Idols'. (Unreported World)

People in the US will be able to watch Japanese pro baseball games live on cable TV and the internet soon. (NHK)

People in the western Japanese city of Tokushima are decorating shopping streets with lanterns to brighten up the mood as a major summer festival was canceled due to the coronavirus. (NHK)

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines says it believes more than 1,000 tons of oil have leaked from a bulk carrier that ran aground off Mauritius in the Indian Ocean on July 25. (NHK)

Kaushik Kumar really loves Japan and has wanted to live here long-term for a while now, even though he knew he’d always be “treated like a foreigner.” (Japan Times)

Japan was blanketed by sweltering heat on Sunday. Temperatures in many areas rose above 35 degrees Celsius, putting people's health at risk. (NHK)

Japan’s population continues to become more international, but the situation might be changing soon. (soranews24.com)

In a town with a dying population, we find hundreds of scarecrows, zero children, and a voice that I hope I never forget. (Tokyo Lens)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says 331 new cases of the coronavirus had been confirmed as of 3 p.m. on Sunday. (NHK)