Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike announced Friday that phase two of the capital’s three-part plan to peel back coronavirus countermeasures will begin on Monday. (Japan Times)

Amusement park association wants quiet thrill rides, no hugs as part of post-coronavirus closure reopenings. (soranews24.com)

Hana Kimura, a 22-year-old female professional wrestler who was among the cast of the most recent installment of the internationally popular Japanese reality show series "Terrace House," died Saturday after having been victimized by cyber-bullying, sources close to the matter said. (Japan Today)

Time on your hands and a love of anime? A producer from Japan's Studio Ghibli is offering an online tutorial for drawing one of its most beloved characters: Totoro. (Japan Today)

A strip club in the famous Dogo hot spring resort in western Japan has been forced to look to crowdfunding to ensure it can survive the coronavirus spread with tourists and longtime customers staying away. (Japan Times)

Workers in eateries, tourism and other industries hit by the new coronavirus pandemic as well as parents appealed to the government for more financial and other support as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe extended the nationwide state of emergency on Monday by over three weeks. (Kyodo)

On the April 5 edition of the Fuji TV talk program, “Wide na Show,” comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto discussed proposed economic relief measures for people affected by the COVID-19 crisis. (Japan Times)

Companies poised to benefit from the changes wrought by the coronavirus pandemic have emerged as drivers of a budding recovery in Japan's stock market. (Nikkei)

A Japanese comedian apologized Wednesday for his recent remarks that men can look forward to seeing "pretty girls entering (the sex industry) after the coronavirus is over" as they would be in need of money and obliged to take such jobs temporarily. (Japan Today)

Some of Japan’s most popular and beautiful gravure models want you to stay home during the spring vacation period. (soranews24.com)

Netflix Inc said on Friday it had made some documentary features and series, including Our Planet and Explained, available on the company's YouTube channel for free at the request of teachers. (Japan Today)

As countries around the world attempt to stop the spread of coronavirus, nations have been closing their borders, shutting down entire cities, and asking citizens to stay home. (Japan Today)

The clubs themselves might be closed, but you can still spend time with your favorite host, even if you can’t physically be with him. (soranews24.com)

Day after day, the rising number of new cases of the coronavirus in Tokyo and nationwide is making headlines. But what is even more alarming is the increasing number of instances where authorities can’t track where the patient got it from. (Japan Times)

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has urged people around the country not to visit restaurants and bars operating at nighttime. (NHK)

Millions of people will be inconvenienced by the Tokyo metropolitan government's business shutdown campaign as the city battens down against increasing numbers of coronavirus infections, but some of the megalopolis's most marginalized residents will lose their homes. (Nikkei)

Japanese pop group Arashi has released a video encouraging people to wash their hands amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Japan Today)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to request the closure of entertainment facilities if the prime minister declares a state of emergency based on a coronavirus-related law. (NHK)

Many major cities around the globe have implemented lockdowns, but Japan’s big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka have not yet followed suit. Because of that, a sense of crisis about the coronavirus pandemic among the public seems relatively low. (Japan Times)

Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward officials say the coronavirus infection is spreading in Kabukicho and other entertainment and amusement districts in the ward. (NHK)

With the recent passing of Japanese comedy legend Ken Shimura due to complications of a COVID-19 infection, everyone has been looking back on his many accomplishments in music, comedy, and entertainment in general. (soranews24.com)

Tokyo is bracing for the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Over the past week, the capital has seen a surge in infections and now has the most cases among the country's 47 prefectures. (NHK)

Supermarkets and convenience stores decided Thursday to stay open as usual in the coming days, after a request by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike’s for residents in the capital not to leave home over the weekend. (Japan Times)

On Wednesday night, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike asked residents of Japan’s capital to remain home as much as possible over the coming weekend in order to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. Now, one day after Tokyoites were told to stay in their homes, people in all four of its neighboring prefectures are being told to stay out of the city. (soranews24.com)

Veteran comedian Ken Shimura has tested positive for the new coronavirus, his agency said Wednesday, making him the first Japanese entertainment figure to announce their infection publicly. (Kyodo)