Some 2 million face masks donated by Taiwan arrived in Japan on Tuesday for delivery to public hospitals and special schools across the country in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Today)

Japan's Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is seeking more cooperation from the public to avoid close contact with others to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. (NHK)

The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Japan stood at 11,543 on Tuesday after 390 new cases were detected nationwide. (NHK)

Police in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, have taken a man into custody after he holed up inside a restaurant, holding two girls hostage. The two girls, aged 3 and 6, are unharmed. (NHK)

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) removed a comment from its website on Tuesday that referred to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when discussing the financial impact of postponing the Games, following objections from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committee. (Japan Times)

Japan plans to ban entry of foreign citizens from more than 10 countries to help curb the coronavirus outbreak. This is in addition to the 73 countries and territories already banned. (NHK)

Japan will extend its suspension of visas held by foreign nationals to the end of May, a government source said Tuesday, having deemed it too early to lift travel restrictions meant to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. (Kyodo)

Police in Fukuoka have arrested a 69-year-old man on suspicion of assaulting the manager of a discount drugstore, after a cashier handed him change from a purchase instead of putting it on a tray. (Japan Today)

The Japanese government has created a new license that will allow more Japanese sake brewers to produce strong alcoholic drinks as a substitute sanitizer for coronavirus. (NHK)

A crew member aboard an Italian cruise ship currently undergoing repairs in southwestern Japan has tested positive for the new coronavirus, while about 20 others are believed to have developed a fever since last week, another member of the crew said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

A survey in Japan has found huge gaps among regions on the usage of digital devices and materials to help children study at home as their schools remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

Yoshio Tateishi, former president and CEO of Omron Corp., died early Tuesday of pneumonia caused by COVID-19 at a hospital in Kyoto, the electrical appliance maker said. He was 80. (Japan Times)

People are still flocking to shopping arcades in Tokyo and other densely populated cities despite the Japanese government announcing a state of emergency nationwide over the novel coronavirus outbreak. (Kyodo)

Outings in major cities across Japan declined on the first Sunday since the government expanded the state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic to cover the entire nation. But the decrease differed from area to area. (NHK)

Japan's health ministry says more than 11 percent of those in their 80s or older with coronavirus infection have died. (NHK)

The Japanese government has outlined details of its plan to hand out 100,000 yen, or more than 900 dollars, in cash to all residents as part of its economic response to the coronavirus outbreak. (NHK)

Ever since the novel coronavirus began making news at the beginning of the year, masks have become almost as valuable as real-world currency, with people going to great lengths to stockpile them, resell them, and purchase them at exorbitant prices. (soranews24.com)

The Japanese government has decided to expand its supplementary budget for the current fiscal year that began April 1 by more than 80 billion dollars. The move is to help fund cash handouts aimed at easing the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

At this time of year, under normal circumstances, Sakura Furusato Square in Sakura City, in Tokyo’s neighbouring Chiba Prefecture, is crowded with tourists, who flock to the area to attend the annual Sakura Tulip Festa. (soranews24.com)

To aid society in the fight against COVID-19, prisoners have been set to work turning out cloth masks and protective gear, to help overcome shortages, instead of the leatherware and carpentry goods they usually make. (Japan Times)

E-commerce giant Rakuten Inc. said Monday it has started selling coronavirus testing kits to companies in Tokyo and four surrounding prefectures. (Japan Times)

A Japanese team of researchers has shown that time at Tokyo Skytree’s observatory — around 450 meters above sea level — passes four nanoseconds faster per day than at near ground level. (Japan Times)

The Fukui Prefectural Government said Sunday it will distribute coupons granting the right to purchase face masks to all households in the prefecture in response to shortages amid the coronavirus epidemic. (Japan Times)

Japan's health minister Kato Katsunobu has called on the Group of 20 major economies to lead global efforts to overcome the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

While healthcare providers are bearing the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic fight, the funeral industry is bracing for action behind the front lines, hoping to retain as much of a human touch as possible as virus fatalities mount. (Japan Times)