Japan’s after-work drinking scene has been disrupted by the novel coronavirus pandemic, forcing its often jam-packed izakaya dining bars to reinvent themselves to survive. (Japan Times)

The operators of Japan's famed bullet trains increased their mutual cross-shareholdings last fiscal year to strengthen their relationships, bucking a broad trend of unwinding such arrangements amid criticism from investors. (Nikkei)

Police in Sapporo have arrested a 51-year-old unemployed man for kicking the stomach of a pregnant woman in her 20s as she walked along a street in April. (Japan Today)

Japanese telecommunications group NTT announced Thursday that it would invest 64.5 billion yen ($597 million) for a 4.8 percent stake in IT services group NEC to launch what both companies called a "made-in-Japan" alliance in 5G technology. (Nikkei)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government said Thursday it had confirmed 48 new novel coronavirus infections, marking more than 40 cases daily for the second straight day. (Japan Times)

A plane full of Japanese business travelers has landed in Vietnam for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic prompted each country to issue travel bans. (NHK)

A summary of the latest Bank of Japan meeting shows many policymakers say that "Japan's economy has been in an extremely severe situation," due to the impact of COVID-19. But one policymaker does note that the economy "recently appears to have bottomed out." (NHK)

Japan's weather officials say higher-than-normal average temperatures are expected across the country from July through September. (NHK)

Japan's Mothers index, an equity benchmark comprised of emerging companies, has gained strong momentum after hitting a bottom in mid-March. (Nikkei)

Japanese officials will explore the development of preemptive-strike capabilities against enemy rocket launchers as a less-costly alternative to the Aegis Ashore missile shield, Nikkei has learned. (Nikkei)

A Japanese education ministry panel broadly approved at a meeting Wednesday a policy of allowing junior high school students to carry smartphones at school conditionally as means of communication during commuting in times of emergencies. (Japan Times)

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 struck off eastern Japan early Thursday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. No tsunami warning was issued. (Kyodo)

World McDonald's beef burgers come to Japan McDonald's. (japanesestuffchannel)

A 31-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday for allegedly killing her two-year-old son by wrapping a Japanese-style mattress called futon around him at their home in Tokyo, police said. (Japan Today)

Japanese optical technology company Olympus says it will sell its imaging business, which includes its digital camera division. The decision comes as it is losing its market share to smartphones. (NHK)

The head of the company that operates the Uniqlo clothing chain has pledged 10 billion yen, or about 94 million dollars, of his own money to medical research under two Japanese Nobel laureates. (NHK)

The number of coronavirus cases has been rising sharply at airport quarantine among people arriving in Japan even though the epidemic is subsiding in many parts of the country. (NHK)

Almost every amusement park we visited in Japan was a ghost town. (Coaster Studios)

The homeless are some of the most marginalized and vulnerable people in society, and this is no different in Japan. (izanau.com)

Japan's health authorities reported 57 new coronavirus cases and four deaths on Tuesday. (NHK)

As part of strategies adopted Tuesday to promote Japanese-language education, the government is aiming to improve its outreach to foreign children so as to provide them with learning opportunities. (Japan Times)

Japan will boost visa support, lure more international schools and streamline procedures for obtaining investment management licenses to attract highly skilled foreign finance workers, according to a draft proposal from the ruling party seen by Reuters. (wkzo.com)

Japan's health ministry is trying to repair a glitch in the nation's coronavirus contact-tracing app, which was rolled out just days ago. (NHK)

Sales of personal computers are increasing in the nation thanks to demand from workers shifting to teleworking, in order to prevent infection with the novel coronavirus. (Japan Times)

People in Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa are looking back at one of the fiercest and bloodiest battles of World War Two. Seventy-five years ago today, Japan's military operations against US forces on the islands came to an end. (NHK)