Japan's health ministry is making arrangements to approve a coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech on February 15.

The ministry has already signed a contract with Pfizer to receive doses for 72 million people this year.

Head of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee and former prime minister Mori Yoshiro has apologized for controversial comments suggesting that women talk too much in meetings. But Mori says he has no intention of resigning.

Mori said, "What I have said was inappropriate and goes against the spirit of the Olympics and Paralympics. To that end, I deeply regret what I have done. And I want to retract my remark and I'll apologize to the people who were annoyed by what I said."

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that was crippled after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami has started removing four deformed nuclear fuel assemblies from the storage pool of the No.3 reactor building. It is part of efforts to decommission the plant.

Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, began the process this week using equipment it jointly developed with Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation.

Vietnamese nationals living in Japan who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic have been given a chance to find new employment.

Dozens took part in the online seminar organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA. A lawyer explained to them the procedure for changing their visas to be able to work in different jobs.

A Tokyo Metropolitan Government panel of coronavirus experts say the thorough implementation of anti-virus measures is necessary, citing rising infections among the elderly.

At its meeting on Thursday, the panel concluded that the highest alert levels for infections and medical care systems should be maintained.

The head of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee is apologizing for controversial comments that ignited social media backlash and caught international attention.

But Mori Yoshiro says he has no intention of resigning.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 734 new cases of the coronavirus in the capital on Thursday.

Tokyo's daily tally has remained below 1,000 for seven days in a row.

After igniting a social media backlash and catching international media attention, the head of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee is apologizing for controversial comments.

But he said he has no intention of resigning. Mori Yoshiro said earlier this week that board meetings with women take too long because they talk too much.

Japan and Britain have agreed to strengthen cooperation on a free and open Indo-Pacific with China's increasing maritime activities in mind.

Japan's Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo held an online meeting with their British counterparts Dominic Raab and Ben Wallace on Wednesday for about two hours. It was the fourth so-called "two-plus-two meeting" between the two countries.

The number of criminal offenses in Japan fell to a new postwar low last year as more people stayed home during the coronavirus pandemic.

The National Police Agency says 614,303 criminal offenses were recorded across Japan in 2020. The figure declined by about 134,000, or 17.9 percent, from the previous year.

US and European media have reported on questionable remarks made by the head of the organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Mori Yoshiro, Japan's former prime minister, said on Wednesday that meetings attended by a large number of women take too much time.

The head of the organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics has said that meetings attended by a large number of women take too much time.

The remark by Mori Yoshiro came during an extraordinary meeting of councillors of the Japan Olympic Committee on Wednesday.

Olympic officials have unveiled anti-coronavirus guidelines to be observed by international sports federations taking part in the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The first "playbook" for international federations was released on Wednesday. It was compiled by the International Olympic Committee, the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and others. There are separate playbooks for athletes and media.

Japanese lawmakers have enacted legislation that will allow officials to punish coronavirus rule-breakers.

The new measures come as the country continues to battle a third wave of infections --- and a high number of serious cases that's putting intense strain on hospitals.