Japanese weather officials are warning of localized heavy rains in wide areas of western to northeastern Japan by Monday morning. (NHK)

A rocket developed by a Japanese venture firm has failed to reach space. (NHK)

Kenki Fukuoka, who starred for Japan at last autumn's Rugby World Cup, said Sunday he won't compete in next year's postponed Tokyo Olympics in order to stay on course for a future in medicine. (Kyodo)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Sunday reported 47 new coronavirus infections in the capital, with 18 of them confirmed through a group examination newly initiated in the Kabukicho entertainment district in Shinjuku Ward, Gov. Yuriko Koike said. (Japan Times)

This weekend, shopping streets liek this one in Ginza reopened. Tokyo is back -- but, with conditions. (ONLY in JAPAN)

Health authorities in Japan's northernmost prefecture, Hokkaido, have reported dozens of coronavirus infections at cafes where people perform karaoke. (NHK)

If you think your life has been a little difficult of late, spare a thought for the parents who have needed to prepare three meals a day for hungry children who have been forced to spend time at home following the school closures since March. A number of mothers, in particular, have taken to social media in recent weeks to vent their frustrations. (Japan Times)

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 rattled southwestern Japan on early Sunday but no tsunami warning was issued, the weather agency said. (Kyodo)

Karaoke fans in Tokyo got a taste of the “new normal” on Friday, the first day after business closure requests for such establishments were lifted following a fall in new coronavirus cases. (Japan Times)

A scenic train in Kyoto, western Japan, is running again after suspending services in early April due to the coronavirus. (NHK)

Members of Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party speculate that some officials are poising themselves to become the next party leader. (NHK)

A Japanese railway company has invited members of the media to test-ride a new Shinkansen bullet train model, the N700S series. . (NHK)

Tokyo is the third most expensive city for expats, according to a U.S. consulting firm’s cost of living survey, down from second last year and trailing top-ranked Hong Kong for the third consecutive year. (Japan Times)

Narita is — quiet. More staff than passengers!! Walk with us through the Departures today and the airport shopping area. (ONLY in JAPAN)

When 21-year-old Cuban outfielder Oscar Colas turned up in the Dominican Republic in January, he hoped to leave both his homeland and Japan's SoftBank Hawks behind him as a new baseball future in America beckoned. (Kyodo)

Japanese lawmakers have passed a second supplementary budget to blunt the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

The government's effort to distribute two cloth masks to each household will likely be nearly complete on Monday, some two months after the project began, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Friday. (Japan Times)

Formula One races in Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japan were canceled on Friday because of issues arising from the coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Today)

A Japanese high court on Thursday upheld a lower court's decision that the French head of Mt Gox, a Tokyo-based bitcoin exchange that went bankrupt after a massive hacking attack, was guilty of manipulating electronic data but not embezzlement. (Japan Today)

I was sent scrambling for my dictionary on June 4 when Finance Minister Taro Aso declared that the different "mindo" between Japan and other countries was the reason behind Japan’s low COVID-19 death rate. (Japan Times)

As central banks dive into the uncharted waters of yield curve control, Japan, the pioneer of the unorthodox policy, is struggling to stay focused on its own yield targets as it looks instead to money printing to help firms hit by the coronavirus. (Japan Today)

The education ministry said Thursday it is considering holding standardized university entrance exams in January as planned, despite months of high school closures due to the new coronavirus outbreak. (Japan Times)

The annual government-sponsored World War II memorial service, held in Tokyo on Aug. 15 to coincide with the anniversary of Japan’s surrender, will be scaled down this year due to the coronavirus outbreak, the health ministry said Friday. (Japan Times)

Cases of COVID-19 appear to be persistent but relatively under control in Japan. However, the social and economic knock-on effects of the pandemic are only just beginning to reveal themselves. (soranews24.com)

SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. will develop a satellite to remove space debris with lasers, aiming to launch a related service in 2026. (Japan Times)