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)

Life has stayed remarkably normal in Japan’s capital during the coronavirus outbreak, but that could be changing soon. (soranews24.com)

Four-day event completely scrubbed for 2020. (soranews24.com)

Popular boy band Arashi is calling off a concert scheduled for this spring in Beijing due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, their agent said. (Japan Times)

Original Japanese programs made for subscription video streaming services have thus far been less focused on finding new formulas and more about upgrading the familiar. With that in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that travel shows — or at least offerings that use countries that aren’t Japan as a backdrop — have started popping up on Netflix and Hulu. (Japan Times)

Between January 24 and 30, some 700,000 Chinese tourists are expected to arrive in Japan to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (tokyoreporter.com)

After leaving Tokyo, the original life-size Gundam is establishing a new base in another major Japanese city. (soranews24.com)

Netflix, the streaming service that has shaken up Hollywood, has unleashed its brand of big-budget disruption in Japan's TV industry. (Nikkei)

On a chilly evening last month, tens of thousands of people gathered at the Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo, one of Japan's biggest live music venues. People of all ages were thrilled to witness rock legends in action: Ireland's U2. (Nikkei)

As the cultural and historical heart of the country, Kyoto deserves a spot on any Japan travel itinerary. However, with the city welcoming so many travelers, sometimes it can be hard finding a hotel with vacant rooms on the nights you wish to stay. (soranews24.com)

Commercial services using next-generation 5G networks will begin this year in Japan. (NHK)

Sony Corp's PlayStation has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's best-selling home video game console, having sold 450.19 million units over 25 years, its game business unit said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

In a country where they say the customer is God, Japanese customer service is second to none across all types of sectors, from the biggest corporations to the smallest of small businesses. (soranews24.com)

Top Japanese mobile carrier NTT Docomo will offer customers a free year of Amazon Prime as telecom and tech companies form alliances ahead of next spring's rollout of ultrafast 5G wireless service. (Nikkei)

The push to reduce overtime in Japan is starting to have wide-ranging effects on Japanese society, from shifting traffic patterns to boosting part-time work six months after a law was passed to improve the country's notoriously lacking work-life balance. (Nikkei)

Arashi, a popular Japanese boy band that will suspend their activities next year, said Sunday they will hold two concerts at the new National Stadium in May, adding to events that will set the mood for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. (Kyodo)

The mayor of Tokyo's Shibuya Ward has vowed to prevent trouble in his district during Halloween starting this weekend. (NHK)

Japanese idol Tomohisa Yamashita is to star in a chilling new thriller set in the Antarctic called "The Head". (Japan Times)

With the number of foreign tourists to Japan increasing by the year, authorities are warning visitors to steer clear of so-called rip-off bars. (Japan Times)

A Japanese comedy duo and their management company have apologized after the pair reportedly said during a live event that Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, who just won the Pan Pacific Open at the weekend, "needed some bleach." (Japan Today)

Since its launch on Aug. 8, the Netflix series “The Naked Director” has become a certifiable hit. Its audience score on the Rotten Tomatoes ratings site is 97 percent, and on the series’ IMDB page, positive user reviews (“Truly amazing, realistic and captivating,” “You will find tears, laughter, passion”) far outnumber the negative. (Japan Times)