NHK has learned that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is planning a six-fold increase in coronavirus testing capacity, in anticipation of a simultaneous outbreak of seasonal influenza.

Tokyo currently has a testing capacity of 10,200 per day. However, experts have warned that the capital should prepare for another wave of coronavirus infections.

Our 2019 Subaru Forester long-term test car has been a pack rat for many of us on staff at Autoblog. We've stuffed in camping gear, tires, landscaping supplies and much more over a number of months. However, we haven't given it a proper luggage test until now.

West Coast Editor James Riswick has tested a number of compact crossovers that the Forester competes against with his own set of luggage: Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. But since our long-term Forester lives in Michigan, we'll be using the same set of luggage that we've used for all other midwest luggage tests.

A number of cinemas in Japan have begun seating viewers at full capacity after the government relaxed the limit imposed on big venues due to the coronavirus starting on Saturday.

Cinemas had been limiting the audience to up to half capacity. Eurospace cinema in Tokyo's Shibuya district sold tickets for all 145 seats. Audience members sat next to each other as they waited for the movie to begin.

NHK has learned that the Tokyo Medical Association is considering increasing the number of coronavirus testing sites in the Japanese capital to 1,400 from the current 300 or so.

The association has so far set up around 300 PCR testing sites in Tokyo. These include sites at medical institutions, as well as PCR test centers that are jointly operated by local medical associations and municipalities.

Japan's minister in charge of the coronavirus response says he'll seek experts' views on the planned easing of attendance limits for major events on August 1.

Nishimura Yasutoshi said on Tuesday that he'll ask experts at a government subcommittee meeting on Wednesday to analyze the latest infection trends.

Japan's health ministry plans to expand the country's capacity to test for the coronavirus to 20,000 a day. It is also thinking about increasing drive-through testing.

The ministry says Japan now has the capacity for up to 12,000 daily tests, done by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, public health centers and others.

GAC Honda, the joint venture between Honda and GAC Group in China, will absorb its wholly-owned subsidiary Honda Automobile (China) effective April 1, 2020.

The 2020 Mazda CX-30 is pretty much a lifted Mazda3 hatchback. Same platform, awfully similar dimensions, and the interior's a spitting image (if not identical). Ditto cargo capacity. On paper, the two have virtually the same amount of space behind their raised back seats, with the CX-30 at 20.2 cubic-feet and the 3 with just a teensy less at 20.1. 

Now, before I go any further, let's see how much that 20.1 cubic-feet relates to in the Mazda3. I wasn't yet doing this test format back then, hence the video.