The Japanese government has found that at least 5,800 college students either left school or took time off because of the spread of the coronavirus between April and December of last year.

The ministry of education conducted a survey of four-year universities and colleges, junior colleges and technical colleges across Japan. About 95 percent, or 1,009 schools, responded.

Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force has held a joint drill with US and French military vessels in waters off Kyushu in southwestern Japan.

The MSDF says its replenishment ship Hamana, US destroyer Curtis Wilbur and French frigate Prairial conducted a trilateral replenishment-at-sea drill on Friday.

A possible side effect from the coronavirus vaccination has been reported in the central Japanese prefecture of Toyama. This is the first such case in Japan.

Japan rolled out its immunization program on Wednesday, initially targeting around 40,000 healthcare workers.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials confirmed 327 new cases of the coronavirus in the Japanese capital on Saturday.

The daily tally is below 500 for a 14th straight day.

NHK has learned that sports organizers plan to hold an event for Japanese para-athletes with visual impairments. The event will help determine their eligibility for this summer's Tokyo Paralympics.

Sources say international sports federations and other entities will hold a joint classification event on March 20 and 21 in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo. It will cover seven sports, including goalball, marathon, and judo.

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that was crippled after a major earthquake and tsunami in 2011 has removed four deformed nuclear fuel assemblies from the storage pool of the No.3 reactor building. The job is part of efforts to decommission the plant.

Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, says it began work to remove the four units this month and completed it this week.

Osaka Prefecture in western Japan has decided to ask the central government at the end of February to be removed from a state of emergency imposed to contain the coronavirus.

The measure covers ten prefectures until March 7.

The new head of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee, Hashimoto Seiko, has stressed that her most important mission is to gain public trust in the Games.

Hashimoto made an inaugural address to about 3,600 committee officials on Friday afternoon. She became the president of the committee the previous day after former head Mori Yoshiro resigned over remarks that were seen as demeaning to women.

Japan's health minister says the government will try to secure more vaccines as soon as possible, as the number of healthcare workers hoping to get inoculated proved to be more than estimated.

Japan rolled out its vaccination campaign on Wednesday, with about 40,000 medical workers receiving the jab in the first phase. The inoculation will be eventually expanded to other healthcare workers.

Japan's Regulatory Reform Minister Kono Taro says the country will receive its second shipment of a coronavirus vaccine on Sunday. The vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German partner BioNTech will arrive from the European Union.

The minister in charge of Japan's vaccination program also told reporters that up to 1.17 million doses will be distributed to prefectures for medical workers over the two weeks starting from March 1.

Japan's health minister says the government will try to secure more vaccines as soon as possible as the number of healthcare workers hoping to get inoculated proved to be more than estimated.

Japan rolled out its vaccination campaign on Wednesday, with about 40,000 medical workers receiving the jab in the first phase.

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko has welcomed the appointment of Hashimoto Seiko as the new head of the Tokyo Games organizing committee.

Koike told reporters on Friday that Hashimoto is an Olympic medalist who has taken part in the games seven times.

The Tokyo High Court has ordered the Japanese government to compensate people who evacuated from Fukushima Prefecture following the 2011 nuclear power plant accident there.

The decision reverses the Chiba District Court's ruling that ordered only the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, to pay damages to the plaintiffs.

The new chief of the organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games has tendered her resignation as a member of Japan's main ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Hashimoto Seiko submitted notice of her departure on Friday.