Japan saw the lowest number of flu patients late-January in roughly 10 years, in part due to preventive measures against the Wuhan coronavirus that has spread throughout the world, authorities said. (Nikkei)

Japan on Sunday put a new spy satellite into orbit that is expected to help the government capture images of North Korean missile sites. (Japan Times)

Young women in Japan are experiencing serious financial trouble. (soranews24.com)

A boat possibly from North Korea was found washed ashore in the town of Iwami on Sunday, authorities said, reports TV Asahi (Feb. 9). (tokyoreporter.com)

Japan's Cabinet will approve next week emergency measures against a new coronavirus to strengthen screenings and provide financial support to the tourism industry, a source close to the matter said Saturday. (Kyodo)

The top diplomats of Japan and Britain agreed Saturday to work quickly toward a bilateral trade deal that will be "at least as ambitious" as Japan's agreement with the European Union. (Kyodo)

Japan's foreign ministry says a Japanese man in his 60s who was suspected of having the new coronavirus died of pneumonia on Saturday in the Chinese city Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak. (NHK)

Local shopkeeper says drop in tourist traffic is most dramatic in over 30 years. (soranews24.com)

An 18-year-old female student has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after she stabbed a fellow student with a knife at a high school in Iruma City, Saitama Prefecture,. (Japan Today)

Clouds are gathering on the horizon for Japanese carmakers, their business outlook put at risk by the new coronavirus from China as it threatens to cripple their supply chains in the country, now a global manufacturing powerhouse. (Japan Times)

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)

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)

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)