Japanese opposition parties are stepping up criticism of the communications ministry's handling of alleged questionable dining involving the eldest son of Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide.

Weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported earlier this month that Suga's son, who works for a satellite broadcasting company, treated four senior officials of the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry to meals and gave them gifts on several occasions.

Coronavirus vaccinations are now underway in Japan. About 40,000 healthcare workers will receive the jab in the first phase of the rollout.

The director of the Tokyo Medical Center was the first person in the country to receive the shot. Director Araki Kazuhiro said, "I think the vaccine is the trump card in the coronavirus pandemic. If data from our shots is analyzed and used by public health officials, I would be very grateful."

NHK has learned that a panel tasked with selecting the new head of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee is set to ask Tokyo Games Minister Hashimoto Seiko to take the job.

The panel has been considering candidates to succeed Mori Yoshiro, who offered to step down last week following public backlash over his seemingly sexist remarks.

Health care workers are first in line to receive a coronavirus vaccine in Japan. About 40,000 workers will make up an initial group that will be vaccinated at 100 hospitals across the country. The inoculations have begun and are expected to start at all of the hospitals next week at the latest.

The health ministry is preparing to begin vaccinations of the roughly 3.7 million remaining health care workers in mid-March.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials confirmed 378 new cases of the coronavirus in the capital on Wednesday.

The daily tally has remained below 500 for the 11th straight day.

Japan has begun vaccinating healthcare workers at medical facilities across the country.

The vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German partner BioNTech will be administered to the first group of about 40,000 healthcare workers at 100 hospitals.

Weather officials in Japan are warning that snowstorms will likely batter areas of the country facing the Japan Sea on Wednesday. They are calling on people to be on the alert against possible traffic disruptions.

The Meteorological Agency says a developed low pressure system and a strong winter pressure pattern have brought increasingly strong winds mainly to the coastal areas, and heavy snowstorms to parts of Hokkaido.

A panel tasked with selecting a candidate to become the new president of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games' organizing committee held its second meeting on Wednesday. It is believed to have narrowed down a list of possible candidates to succeed Mori Yoshiro.

Mori offered to step down last week in response to the backlash against remarks he made that were considered to be demeaning to women.

Japan is starting its coronavirus vaccination program on Wednesday. It plans to give the first doses to about 40,000 health care workers.

Japan's Regulatory Reform Minister Kono Taro said, "We are about to start vaccination, which is said to be the strongest weapon in the fight against the coronavirus. We hope many people will get vaccinated after accurately understanding its benefits and risks."

A panel tasked with selecting a candidate to become the new president of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee will hold its second meeting on Wednesday. It hopes to narrow down possible candidates to succeed Mori Yoshiro.

Mori offered to step down last week in a public backlash against his remarks which were regarded as demeaning to women.

Health care workers in Japan are set to get Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday. They'll be the first in the nation to receive the jab.

A hospital in Tokyo received the vials on Tuesday evening. It will keep the vaccine at a temperature of around minus 75 degrees Celsius in a special freezer.

A Japanese court has ruled in favor of a public high school in a case involving the color of a female student's hair. But it also awarded the student damages in a separate decision.

The student at Osaka Prefecture Kaifukan Senior High School sued the prefecture four years ago. She argued that she stopped attending the school after teachers pressed her to dye her hair black even though she was born with brown hair.

Japan's communications minister says ministry officials repeatedly entertained by Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide's son last year will be penalized after investigation into the matter is concluded. He also denied that the matter affected the ministry's broadcast administration.

Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Takeda Ryota answered questions in the Lower House on Tuesday.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials say 350 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in the capital on Tuesday.

The daily tally has been below 500 for 10 days in a row.