Japan's health ministry is conducting a survey on the apparent aftereffects of coronavirus infections.
Around 4.6 million people around the country had been infected with the virus by the end of March amid the sixth wave of infections. Many continue to suffer from such symptoms as abnormalities in their sense of taste or smell, fatigue or impaired concentration, months after they were first diagnosed.
A university in a prefecture north of Tokyo is planning to accept Ukrainian students and researchers whose works have been interrupted by the Russian invasion.
It was announced at a news conference on Friday that Gunma University will provide a place to stay while they resume their academic activities there.
The Japanese government will extend the dispatch of a liaison team to the southern prefecture of Okinawa beyond Saturday in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus infections there.
Okinawa is the only prefecture to have reported more than 600 new cases per 100,000 people in the past week. Its occupancy rate of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients is also rising.
Japan's main ruling party says the country's defense budget should be raised to at least two percent of GDP within about five years. The figure would bring spending on par with the target shared by members of NATO.
The increase, which includes coast guard expenses, comes in a set of proposals drafted by the Liberal Democratic Party's Research Commission on Security.
Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets were scrambled 1,004 times in the fiscal year ending March, mainly due to Chinese aircraft.
The figure, released by the Defense Ministry, is up 279 from the previous year, and the second highest on record.
Japan's nuclear regulator has largely approved a plan to release treated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean.
The plant suffered triple meltdowns in the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster. Water is used to cool molten nuclear fuel. It mixes with rain and groundwater that flows into damaged reactor buildings.
A Japanese media watchdog has urged producers of TV variety shows to be more cautious about the content of their programs so they won't encourage bullying.
The Broadcasting Ethics and Program Improvement Organization, or BPO, on Friday announced its recommendations on variety shows that make performers feel physical or psychological pain to draw laughter from the rest of the cast and viewers.
Japan Airlines has revised down its group earnings forecast for fiscal 2021, largely due to weaker-than-expected demand for domestic flights as the coronavirus Omicron variant spread.
JAL said it expects a net loss of 177 billion yen, or 1.4 billion dollars, in the business year that ended last month, about 250 million dollars deeper than the previous projected loss. The company will likely be in the red for two consecutive years.
Japan has made an advance payment of its contributions to the International Criminal Court to help it investigate alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio mentioned the payment at the Upper House on Friday. He was taking questions from lawmakers during their deliberations on law revisions that include revoking Russia's "most favored nation" trade status as sanctions.
Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force and a carrier strike group of the US Navy have held a simulation to respond to a ballistic missile launch.
The Japanese force and the strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln have been engaged in a joint drill in the Sea of Japan.
Japan's greenhouse gas emissions hit a record low in fiscal 2020 due to decreased economic activities during the coronavirus pandemic.
Data compiled by the Ministry of the Environment shows that domestic emissions in the fiscal year that ended in March 2021 amounted to a carbon dioxide equivalent of 1.15 billion tons.
A scenic mountain route running through the Northern Alps in central Japan has reopened for tourists following a winter break.
The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route fully opened on Friday for the first time in about four-and-half months. Piles of snow were removed from the route.
Japanese immigration authorities say the number of new foreign arrivals last month surpassed 48,000, marking a more than nine-fold increase from February.
Preliminary data released by the Immigration Services Agency show 48,418 foreign nationals newly entered Japan in March.
The Japanese government plans to start consultations on resuming evacuation drills to prepare for possible missile launches by North Korea.
The move comes in response to the North's frequent launches of missiles in recent months, including one with an intercontinental range launched on March 24.