The head of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee has indicated the decision on limits for domestic spectators at the Tokyo Games will likely be put off for the time being.
Hashimoto Seiko expressed the view to reporters that "a little more time may be needed" after taking part in a board meeting of the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday.
The Japanese government is considering declaring a state of emergency in two of the country's major urban centers to curb a spike in coronavirus cases.
Infections are increasing around Osaka and Tokyo. Experts say more contagious variants are largely to blame.
The government of Osaka Prefecture in western Japan reported 1,242 new cases of coronavirus infections on Wednesday.
This marks the highest daily count for Osaka Prefecture, surpassing the previous record of 1,219 on Sunday. The Osaka daily tally has topped 1,000 for the eighth time.
The Tokyo Metropolitan government is in talks with the central government on matters regarding a state of emergency it is seeking for Tokyo amid a coronavirus resurgence.
Governor Koike Yuriko told reporters on Wednesday that working-level talks are focusing on the duration of the state of emergency and measures to be taken during the period.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials confirmed 843 new cases of the coronavirus in the capital on Wednesday.
This is the highest daily count since the second state of emergency was lifted last month, and the first time since January 29 that the figure surpassed 800.
The foreign ministers of Japan and the Philippines have discussed the serious concerns they share about China's unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the East and South China seas.
Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and his Philippine counterpart Teodoro Locsin spoke by telephone for about 25 minutes on Tuesday.
The Japanese government is studying declaring a state of emergency for the third time in Tokyo, Osaka and Hyogo prefectures.
Osaka officials on Tuesday asked the government to declare a state of emergency. The number of coronavirus infections in the western Japanese prefecture has been on a sharp rise in recent weeks partly due to more contagious variants.
The governments of Japan and India have called off a meeting of their foreign and defense ministers due to a surge in coronavirus infections in India.
Japan and India were to hold their second two-plus-two meeting in Tokyo this week.
The Japanese government may be edging closer to declaring another state of emergency, based on a request from the western prefecture of Osaka.
The number of infections has been on the rise there in recent weeks partly due to more contagious variants.
The Chinese military is suspected of ordering hackers to attack hundreds of targets in Japan, including the country's space agency and defense-related firms. Police sent papers to prosecutors on a Chinese Communist Party member on Tuesday on suspicion of forging digital records related to the cyberattacks.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department says the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, suffered a cyberattack in 2016. The police identified a Chinese man who had leased several servers in Japan that were allegedly used in the attack.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu has hinted that the government may soon discuss whether to declare another state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic for Osaka Prefecture at the request of the prefecture.
Kato expressed this at his meeting with senior members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday.
Japan's minister in charge of coronavirus response says the government must not hesitate to declare a state of emergency if it is necessary to protect peoples' lives.
Nishimura Yasutoshi told reporters on Tuesday that the government will promptly consider issuing the declaration once it is requested by Osaka Prefecture.
Japan's nuclear regulator is urging the operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to promptly report how it will prepare to release treated water into the ocean.
The water will be diluted before its release so the concentration of contaminants meets global safety levels.
NHK has learned that the Chinese military is suspected of ordering hackers to attack hundreds of targets in Japan, including the country's space agency and defense-related firms.
Investigative sources say the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, suffered a cyberattack in 2016. Tokyo police have identified a Chinese man who had leased several servers in Japan that were allegedly used in the attack.