High school baseball players have started a series of friendly matches at Koshien Stadium in western Japan.

Both the annual spring and summer high school baseball tournaments were cancelled this year due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Public health officials in Tokyo have started examining nightlife establishments and entertainment venues to see whether they are taking steps against coronavirus infections.

Officials from the public health center in Edogawa Ward began inspections on Tuesday.

Fireworks lit up the skies across Japan at 8 p.m. on Friday, which was to be the date of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics before it was postponed.

The Junior Chamber International Japan organized the displays with fireworks companies across the country, hoping they would signal a fresh start despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Chubu Centrair International Airport in central Japan saw more passengers than usual on Thursday, the first day of a four-day weekend, while staff implemented anti-coronavirus measures.

Long lines formed at check-in counters.

Japan's trade minister says the government will decide when to start its "Go To Event" campaign while closely monitoring the extent of the coronavirus outbreak.

The campaign is part of a government-proposed package aimed at spurring consumer spending, as the economy has been hit hard by the pandemic. It is aimed at offering discounts on tickets for concerts, sporting events and movies.

Tokyo is reporting another 237 confirmed infections --- well above the numbers seen when businesses began reopening. But the government says it can balance plans to kick start the economy and the higher case numbers.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide said, "The government's basic stance is to prevent the virus from spreading, and continue a phased reopening of the economy."

Japan's Defense Ministry has proposed that the production of new fighter jets that will succeed the Air Self Defense Force's F-2s should start in fiscal 2031.

The government plans to lead the development of stealth fighter jets with a view to international collaboration. It also plans to have the new jets serviced in Japan.

The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime SE will ring the till at $39,220 (including a $1,120 destination charge) when it goes on sale this summer, Toyota announced Friday, as the company looks to claim the performance high ground in the compact crossover segment with its high-output plug-in hybrid. 

So far, hybrid variants of smaller mainstream two-row crossovers have been focused entirely on efficiency; even Toyota's own RAV4 Hybrid is rated at 41 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 40 combined on the strength of its 219-horsepower conventional hybrid drive system. 

Japan's Prime Minister Abe Shinzo says clinical trials of a vaccine for the coronavirus are expected to begin in the country as early as July.

Abe made the disclosure at a Lower House Budget Committee session on Monday.

Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo says the government will weigh various options when considering whether to change the start of the school year from April to September.

Abe commented on calls for the change at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on Wednesday. Some governors and opposition parties want the start of the academic year to be pushed back to September as school closures have been prolonged amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Few people were seen at major transportation hubs in Tokyo and highways were quiet throughout Japan at the start of the country's week-long spring holiday on Wednesday.

Japan Railway group companies say less than 10 percent of non-reserved seats on all Shinkansen bullet train lines were occupied on Wednesday morning.

The Japanese minister in charge of coronavirus measures says the government aims to start cash handouts in May, to households suffering from falling income due to the outbreak.

Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi revealed the plan during a news conference on Tuesday.

Artists belonging to Universal Music's label EMI Records have started a relay on Tik Tok. 

In addition, EMI Records have launched their official YouTube channel. They will gradually upload concert footage by 10-FEET, AI, HKT48, SiM, Inoue Sonoko, Tokyo Jihen, Sheena Ringo, Matsutoya Yumi, and Matsuda Seiko. 

Toyota has announced a recall for select 2020 Toyota Highlanders. On models with a 3.5.-liter V6 engine, the Engine Control Unit (ECU) might have an error that could cut off the fuel supply during start-stop. The recall, which affects up to 38,810 vehicles, is expected to start April 24, 2020. 

Toyota filed an official Defect Information Report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on March 19, 2020, declaring an issue with the ECU on certain 2020 Highlanders. These Highlanders have a start-stop feature that shuts the engine down and restarts it while a vehicle is temporarily stopped. Due to a programming error in the ECU, the fuel system might malfunction during start-stop, and the gas might not make it to engine.