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Surgical masks scarce in Japan amid virus fears, resale prices soar

Feb 06 (Kyodo) - 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.

Manufacturers are at full throttle to produce enough surgical masks to meet the snowballing demand, but many consumers have been unable to find them in drugstores or convenience stores that normally offer a variety of the products ahead of Japan's hay fever season.

A pharmacy near JR Shimbashi Station in central Tokyo posted a warning that it would sell each customer or group no more than two bags of surgical masks, a measure intended to prevent people from buying large quantities of the product and reselling them for profit.

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Japan’s streaming industry is under growing pressure as foreign giants tighten their grip on the domestic market, with Netflix’s latest move to secure exclusive broadcast rights in Japan for every game of the World Baseball Classic next March highlighting the widening gap.

Investigators from the Immigration Services Agency conducted on-site inspections in Osaka on October 14th amid a surge in so-called 'paper companies' created by foreign nationals seeking residency.

The first grand sumo tournament in London in 34 years opened on October 15th, transforming the iconic Royal Albert Hall into a little corner of Japan and drawing more than 5,400 spectators for a spectacular night of traditional wrestling.

The relocation of Arimasu Tobiru, a distinctive architectural landmark on Hijirizaka in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, was carried out between August and October after nearly two decades of construction.

A police officer approaches a parked car in a dark city parking lot — and what emerges from inside is shocking. How do professionals detect crimes that hide in the night? This investigation looks into the work of officers on the front line.

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A former pet shop owner convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting several female employees and sentenced to 30 years in prison appealed his case at the Fukuoka High Court on October 14th, again claiming that the acts were consensual.

The relocation of Arimasu Tobiru, a distinctive architectural landmark on Hijirizaka in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, was carried out between August and October after nearly two decades of construction.

A Brazilian man has been arrested and indicted for smuggling cocaine into Japan by swallowing the drugs and concealing them inside his body.

Prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for a man accused of killing three family members and seriously injuring another with a crossbow in 2020 in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture.

A police officer approaches a parked car in a dark city parking lot — and what emerges from inside is shocking. How do professionals detect crimes that hide in the night? This investigation looks into the work of officers on the front line.

A woman who had been in critical condition after being struck by a small car near JR Nagoya Station was confirmed dead on October 15th, according to Aichi Prefectural Police. The 49-year-old victim was among three pedestrians hit at an intersection in Nakamura Ward when the vehicle veered out of its lane.

Police arrested two people, including bar manager Maoya Suzuki, on suspicion of violating Japan’s Anti-Prostitution Law after allegedly forcing a female employee at a girls’ bar into prostitution while monitoring her movements through GPS.

A man wearing a ski mask attempted to rob a convenience store in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, in the early hours of October 14th, but fled the scene empty-handed after the clerk shouted loudly, according to local police.