• Japan will begin a subsidy campaign on July 22 to boost domestic tourism hit by the novel coronavirus, the tourism minister said Friday, although concerns remain over a resurgence of infections.
  
  
• Japan is looking to begin discussions with around 10 countries and regions including China, South Korea and Taiwan next week on easing travel restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, Japanese government sources said Friday.
  
  
• One of the clinical studies for the antiviral drug Avigan developed by a Japanese company failed to demonstrate a significant difference between coronavirus patients receiving the treatment and the control group, Fujita Health University which conducted the test said Friday.
  
  
• The number of daily new coronavirus infections in Tokyo reached a single-day record of 243 on Friday, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said, marking the second consecutive day of over 200 new cases in the capital.
  
  
• Japan started allowing on Friday up to 5,000 people to attend sporting and other events, despite a recent rise in the number of people infected with the novel coronavirus.
  
  
• A chartered flight operated by Japan Airlines Co. mainly carrying Japanese businesspeople and their families who had evacuated from China following the novel coronavirus outbreak took off Friday for Guangzhou from Narita airport, east of Tokyo.
  
  
• As face masks become an indispensable part of life during the coronavirus pandemic, many people are confronting an uncomfortable fact: prolonged use can give rise to skin trouble. And as summer comes, the problem may get worse.
  
  
• Japan looks to begin discussions with around 10 countries and regions including China, South Korea and Taiwan next week on easing travel restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, Japanese government sources said Friday.

• About 20 vessels gathered in the Port of Tokyo on Thursday to turn their lights on all at once in a bid to create hope and wish for an end to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
  
  
• Japan and Australia agreed to step up talks to resume travel between the two nations among business people, after restrictions were imposed due to the global coronavirus pandemic, a senior Japanese government official said Thursday.
  
  
• Torrential rain in southwestern Japan has caused devastating damage to inns at a popular hot-spring resort, just as customers had started returning from their coronavirus-induced exile.
  
  
• The number of daily new coronavirus infections in Tokyo reached a single-day record of more than 220 on Thursday, officials said.
  
  
• Brooks Brothers, the 200-year-old American menswear retailer, filed Wednesday for bankruptcy protection after the novel coronavirus pandemic further hit waning demand for business attire.

Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - June 27 - July 3 

Updates on major shops, facilities as economy reopens in Japan

Useful resources for foreign residents and visitors in Japan

• Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Tokyo Coronavirus Support Center for Foreign Residents (TOCOS)" multilingual hotline
  - Available in Simple Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepali, Indonesian, Tagalog, Thai, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Khmer, and Burmese, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays except national holidays. 
  0120-296-004 (toll free)
  
  
• AMDA Medical Information Center's "Multilingual Consultation Service Regarding COVID-19"
  (April 10~May 20, 2020)
  - Available in English, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends and national holidays. Also available in Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, Spanish, Vietnamese and Portuguese on designated weekdays. Check schedule here.
  03-6233-9266 
  - Available in English and Chinese on weekdays only, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  090-3359-8324 
  
  
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government's COVID-19 info
  https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/flow/
  
  
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government hotline
  - Available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  0570-550571
  - Available via fax for those with hearing impairments
  03-5388-1396
  
  
• Japan National Tourism Organization's "Guide for when you are feeling ill"
  - Multilingual clinic/hospital search available in English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese
  https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/eng/mi_guide.html
  
  
• JNTO's "Japan Visitor Hotline"
  - Available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese 24 hours a day
  050-3816-2787 
  +81-50-3816-2787 (from overseas)
  http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/content/001328767.pdf
  
  
• Japan's health ministry hotline
  - Available in Japanese only, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  0120-565653
  
  
• World Health Organization's "Q&A on coronaviruses"
  https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

JR Shinjuku Station in Tokyo is crowded with commuters on July 9, 2020. Tokyo reported over 200 coronavirus infections the same day. (Kyodo)