A third-party panel reviewing scandals involving Japan's communications ministry says officials entertained by a satellite broadcaster may have been aware that the firm was violating a law on foreign ownership.

The case dominated headlines earlier this year as executives of the broadcaster included Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide's son.

Representatives of sexual minorities have called on Japan's main ruling party to swiftly pass a bill designed to enhance public understanding of LGBT.

Three representatives handed over their request to the head office of the Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on Friday.

Japan's communications ministry has disciplined 32 senior bureaucrats who were wined and dined by interested parties.

The ministry announced the results of an internal probe that covered about 170 senior officials who were in charge of the ministry's communications or broadcasting divisions.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 472 coronavirus cases on Friday, down 142 from a week earlier.

This marks the 22nd consecutive day of week-on-week declines in the daily tally.

A female giant panda at Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens is showing signs of being pregnant.

Officials at the zoo said mating between the panda, Shin Shin, and male panda Ri Ri was confirmed in March. Both pandas are 15 years old. They came to the zoo a decade ago.

The head of the Japanese government's coronavirus advisory panel says reducing the movement of people during the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the top priority in preventing a resurgence of the virus.

Omi Shigeru told a Diet committee on Friday that infection risks must be minimized if the Games are held as scheduled this summer.

Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu says Japan is supplying more than one million doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to Taiwan.

Motegi said at a news conference on Friday that 1.24 million doses of the vaccine will be provided free of charge through the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association.

Chinese government ships have sailed just outside Japan's territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea for 112 straight days -- a record number of consecutive days since 2012.

The Japan Coast Guard said that as of 12:00 a.m. on Friday, four official Chinese vessels were sailing in the contiguous zone just outside of Japan's territorial waters.

Heavy rain caused by low-pressure systems and rain fronts is forecast to hit areas from western through northern Japan on Friday.

The Meteorological Agency says 38 millimeters of rainfall was recorded in Kanoya City, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, in the hour up to 7:30 a.m. on Friday. Nichinan City in Miyazaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan, had 31.5 millimeters of rainfall during the same period.

NHK has learned that the Japanese government plans to raise the limit on the size of foreign high-level delegations visiting the country for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

The government initially set a 12-person cap on delegations led by heads of state or other dignitaries. The limit is intended to reduce the risk of coronavirus infections.

Japan's defense minister has held his first meeting with his new Vietnamese counterpart and expressed "serious concerns" over a Chinese law that allows its coast guard to use weapons. The legislation took effect earlier this year.

Japanese Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo held a video conference with Vietnam's defense minister General Phan Van Giang on Thursday. The Vietnamese minister took office in April.

Japanese Director Hamaguchi Ryusuke's "Drive My Car" has been nominated for the Cannes Film Festival's top prize.

"Drive My Car" is among this year's lineup of 24 films announced on Thursday by organizers of the 74th edition of the event, which is one of the world's top three film festivals.

Another important part of the upcoming Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games is taking shape. Just 50 days before the events kick off, organizers gave aspiring athletes something to dream about: a look at where and how the world's best will be given their medals.

This set-up follows Japan's themes of rebuilding and sustainability. The podium is made of recycled plastic.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 508 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, down 176 from a week ago.

This marks the 21st consecutive day of week-on-week declines in the daily tally.