The western Japanese prefecture of Osaka reported 1,209 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday.

This is the highest daily tally confirmed in Osaka, surpassing Thursday's by one.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says it confirmed 667 new cases of coronavirus infection on Friday.

The figure is the second-highest since the second state of emergency was lifted last month.

Japanese Cabinet Ministers met Friday to discuss plans for how the operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will release a build-up of treated water into the ocean, safely and transparently.

They heard from Fukushima's governor and the plant's operator.

A scenic mountain route running through the Northern Alps in central Japan has reopened for tourists following a winter break.

The more than 37 kilometer-Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route links Tateyama Town in Toyama Prefecture and Omachi Town in Nagano Prefecture. It reopened on Thursday after piles of snow were removed from the road.

Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force plans to stage its largest drill in 30 years to step up preparedness for possible emergencies in the country's southwest.

The plan is in line with the defense ministry's policy to enhance defense capabilities for the region, including deploying personnel on remote islands in Okinawa and Kagoshima Prefecture. China has increased its maritime presence in nearby waters.

The Japanese government is expected to decide on Friday to allow Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa and Aichi prefectures to take stricter anti-coronavirus measures without declaring a state of emergency.

The government plans to approve its plans at a task force meeting after consulting with its expert panel and briefing the Diet. The intensive measures are expected to be applied from next Tuesday through May 11.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide is on his way to Washington for his first face-to-face talks with US President Joe Biden. Suga will be the first foreign leader Biden meets in person.

Shortly before leaving Tokyo, Suga said he wants to establish personal trust with the president during Friday's summit.

With the coronavirus continuing to spread across Japan, Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide seems ready to give four more prefectures the power to strengthen virus measures, without declaring a state of emergency. That would be on top of Tokyo, Osaka and four other COVID-19 hotspots.

Officials in the capital reported more than 700 new infections on Thursday -- continuing an upward trend. The metropolis is taking a "targeted approach" to address the problem, before a major national holiday begins in two weeks.

The governor of Fukushima wants the central government to ensure its plan to release treated water from the crippled nuclear power plant into the ocean doesn't damage the prefecture's reputation.

The water will be diluted before its release so the concentration of contaminants meets global safety levels.

A Japanese labor union representing low-paid essential workers across a range of sectors has called for wages to be increased.

The move comes ahead of the start of negotiations on raising minimum wages for this fiscal year.

Seafood dealers in Hokkaido, northern Japan, have begun using Shinkansen bullet trains to deliver to the Tokyo area hundreds of kilometers away.

Railway firms JR Hokkaido and JR East on Thursday started a project for using such trains to send fresh seafood from southern Hokkaido to the capital area.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide says he hopes to demonstrate leadership with the United States toward a free and open Indo-Pacific. He contributed an opinion piece to the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday ahead of his visit to Washington.

Suga said Japan faces a turning point, and his country's challenge will be to return to a growth trajectory and play a strong leadership role in the global economy after the pandemic.

The Japanese space agency JAXA has revealed eight scientific missions for its astronaut Hoshide Akihiko to conduct during his six-month stay on the International Space Station.

Hoshide, together with two NASA astronauts and another from the European Space Agency, will be heading for the ISS on April 22, aboard the Crew Dragon capsule. It is the second crew launch to the ISS for the US private firm SpaceX. The launch will take place at a NASA facility in Florida.

The Osaka Prefectural Government says it confirmed 1,208 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday.

This is the highest daily tally of COVID-19 infections to be reported in Osaka.