As 2020 draws to a close, we look back at our most-read stories. The coronavirus pandemic has hit hard all reaches of the globe without exception, and our readers overwhelmingly looked to our reporting to stay on top of the latest developments. Therefore, for 2020, the rankings fall into two categories -- "Coronavirus" and "Topical stories." Our most-read story in 2020 was "Fireball 'as bright as full moon' spotted in night sky over Japan."
Coronavirus top 10
10. Japan bus driver infected with virus after driving Chinese tourists
A bus driver in his 60s became the first Japanese to be infected with the virus in Japan. He drove two groups of Chinese tourists from Wuhan in January.
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9. PM Abe eyes state of emergency declaration April 7 amid wide virus spread
The then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency on April 7 amid signs of widespread infections across Japan. It was then expanded to the whole country before the declaration was fully lifted in late May.
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8. Infected man in Japan who wanted to "spread virus" dies
A 57-year-old man infected with the novel coronavirus who went out to drink at a Filipino pub after saying he wanted to "spread the virus" died despite being requested by health officials to remain at home.
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7. Japan raises travel alert level for Cuba, 17 other countries
In June, Japan raised its travel alert for 18 countries, including Algeria and Cuba, to Level 3, urging against any trips to these areas that have recently seen a rise in coronavirus infections.
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(For latest information, check Foreign Ministry's coronavirus website)
6. U.S. raises travel alert to Japan due to "community spread" of virus
In February, the U.S. State Department called for "increased caution" when traveling to Japan, escalating the alert to level 2 on the four-level advisory scale amid reports that a new coronavirus originating in China is spreading in Japanese communities via unknown infection routes.
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(For latest information, check U.S. State Department's traveler information website)
5. 7 countries restrict entry from Japan to thwart new virus spread
Seven countries restricted entry to Japanese nationals and those traveling from Japan in February in an effort to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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(For latest information, check Foreign Ministry's coronavirus website)
4. Wuhan's virus patient numbers manipulated for Xi visit: local doctor
The number of novel coronavirus patients in Wuhan, the epicenter of China's virus outbreak, was manipulated in time for President Xi Jinping's visit in March, a local doctor told Kyodo News.
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3. Japanese customs: a guide in brave new coronavirus world?
Some experts say customs and social habits in Japan such as wearing face masks during seasonal flu outbreaks, bowing rather than handshaking, and removing shoes at home might play some role in hindering transmission of the virus, although to what extent is still unknown.
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2. Japan raises travel advisory for 16 countries, region
In July, Japan raised its travel advisory for Palestine and 16 countries, including Nepal, Kenya and Venezuela, warning against going to them amid concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus.
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(For latest information, check Foreign Ministry's coronavirus website)
1. Japanese get creative in face of coronavirus crisis mask shortages
Fears from COVID-19 have led to worldwide mask shortages, not only triggering panic buying but also a crime wave as opportunists get their hands on masks to sell at inflated, fear-driven prices. Handmade masks were trending on social media, with Instagrammers posting tutorial videos on how to construct those using handkerchiefs, scarves, or even coffee filters and elastic bands.
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Topical stories top 10
10. Japanese mathematician gets validation for number theory solution
A proof by Japanese mathematician Shinichi Mochizuki of an over 30-year-old problem in number theory has obtained validation following controversy over his theory often labeled as too novel and complicated to understand.
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9. M6.1 quake off eastern Japan rattles Tokyo
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off eastern Japan rocking buildings in the capital Tokyo and surrounding prefectures. No tsunami warning was issued. The 4:47 a.m. quake on June 26, which had a depth of about 36 kilometers, registered a lower 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale of 7 in Asahi, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo. An intensity of lower 5 means people can become frightened and feel the need to hold onto something stable.
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8. Daikon radish found growing in concrete in heart of Osaka disappears
A lone daikon radish discovered to be growing at the foot of a busy pedestrian overpass in the heart of the western Japan metropolis of Osaka vanished without a trace in November. The root vegetable, commonly used in a range of Japanese dishes, was found protruding a few centimeters out of the asphalt with a full stalk of green leaves near the busy JR Osaka Station.
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7. Figure skating: Former Japan ice dancing champion Reed dead at 30
Former figure skater Chris Reed, a 10-time Japanese national ice dancing champion and three-time Olympian, has died of a heart attack. He was 30.
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6. Balloon-like UFO spotted in skies above northeastern Japan
An unidentified white balloon-like object was spotted by residents in northeastern Japan, with some people directing inquiries to police and other local authorities while others took to Twitter to voice their excitement.
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5. Full-size moving Gundam robot to loom over Yokohama from December
A theme facility with an 18-meter "life-size" moving statue of Gundam, a giant robot featured in a Japanese science fiction animation series, opened in Yokohama, near Tokyo. The new statue, which has more than 20 moving parts, was built at the Gundam Factory Yokohama complex after the 40th anniversary of the broadcasting of the "Mobile Suit Gundam" TV series was marked last year.
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4. "Crash Landing on You" star Son Ye Jin overwhelmed by boom in Japan
South Korean actress Son Ye Jin, who played the role of a wealthy heiress who lands in North Korea in a paragliding accident in the smash hit drama "Crash Landing on You," said in an interview with Kyodo News, she is "overwhelmed" at the immense popularity the romantic comedy has generated in Japan.
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3. Japan puzzled by Indonesia's policy shift over high-speed rail plan
Japan has been perplexed by Indonesia's abrupt policy shift on a high-speed railway project, now asking Tokyo to join in on the major infrastructure deal that it originally lost out to China.
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2. Japan's unmarried, sexual minorities forced to use foreign sperm banks
Marriage and childbirth go hand in hand in Japan, perhaps more so than in many other developed countries, but for Rei Kakyoin, a self-identified asexual, the former was never an option. This feature looked at the legal and other obstacles faced by people like Kakyoin, couples in common-law relationships, same-sex partners and others who dream of having a child through artificial insemination.
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1. Fireball 'as bright as fullmoon' spotted in night sky over Japan
Social media was abuzz after reports that an object emitting an intense light had been spotted falling from the skies above Japan in the early hours of a morning in November. Takeshi Inoue, director of the Akashi Municipal Planetarium in Hyogo Prefecture, said that while shooting stars brighter than Venus are generally known as bolides, it is rare for them to be so bright.
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