A ritual is held at Kushida shrine in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, on June 30, 2020, to bring in a god into decorated festival float "Kazariyamakasa" in hope of an early end to the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo)

 

As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, July 1 (Japan time)

• Japan Airlines Co. is planning to fully restart its domestic flights as early as October, officials said Wednesday, amid signs of a recovery in travel demand, hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
  
  
• Japan's top government spokesman, who has been wearing face masks during twice-a-day press briefings since the spread of the novel coronavirus three months ago, ditched them Wednesday despite Tokyo still struggling to contain infections.
  
  
• Japan could begin talks with Taiwan and Brunei as early as this month on easing travel restrictions meant to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.
  
  
• The number of applications for welfare payments in Japan in April jumped by 24.8 percent compared with the same period of last year due to worsening labor market conditions amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, government data showed Wednesday.
  
  
• Japanese pharmaceutical firm Eisai Co. is set to start clinical trials in the United States of its experimental drug eritoran in the battle against coronavirus, with results potentially available by the year-end, the company said Wednesday.
  
  
• The Tokyo metropolitan government on Wednesday reported 67 new coronavirus infections, the highest number of daily cases since a state of emergency for the capital was lifted more than a month ago, according to an official.
  
  
• The European Union on Wednesday lifted travel restrictions for visitors from 14 countries outside the bloc, including Japan and South Korea, after introducing the step in March in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
  
  
• Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea reopened Wednesday with social-distancing measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after closing for some four months over the pandemic.
  
  
• Business sentiment among large Japanese manufacturers in June plunged to the lowest level since June 2009 due to the economic fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey showed Wednesday.

As of 11 p.m., Tuesday, June 30 (Japan time)

• Members of the European Union agreed Tuesday to reopen borders to visitors from 14 countries outside the bloc, including Japan and South Korea, from Wednesday, after months of travel restrictions over the coronavirus outbreak.
  
  
• The Tokyo metropolitan government on Tuesday confirmed 54 new coronavirus infections in the capital, with the figure topping 50 for the fifth day in a row.
  
  
• The Japanese government's abrupt decision last week to scrap its advisory coronavirus panel drew flak from all sides of politics, but the hastiness of the decision may have given an insight into how keen the administration is to retake control of the narrative.
  
  
• Medical startup Anges Inc. said Tuesday it has started Japan's first clinical test on humans of a potential vaccine for the new coronavirus at an Osaka hospital.

Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - June 20 - 26 

Updates on major shops, facilities as economy reopens in Japan