Japanese Finance Minister Aso Taro and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have agreed to work together on the economic challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

The two finance chiefs spoke by phone on Monday.

Japan's ruling parties are concerned that recent hostess bar scandals involving lawmakers could impact Cabinet approval ratings and upcoming elections.

Three lawmakers of the main ruling Liberal Democratic Party were reported to have visited dining and drinking venues last month, despite the current state of emergency.

Japan's government will extend its coronavirus state of emergency on Tuesday for another month for Tokyo, Osaka and 8 other prefectures.

On Monday night, Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide told reporters that coronavirus cases are declining, but that the country still needs to remain vigilant.

NHK has learned that Japan's health ministry is planning to discuss with a panel of experts next week whether to approve a coronavirus vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer.

Officials said arrangements to convene the meeting on Friday of next week are in their final stage.

Japan's government has decided to extend its coronavirus state of emergency for another month for Tokyo, Osaka, and 8 other prefectures. The current emergency declaration is set to end on February 7.

But the government is lifting the decree for Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

The Japanese government is considering extending its state of emergency around the country's two major urban centers.

The measure is currently due to expire on Sunday. Officials say they will make a decision on Tuesday after hearing from experts.

Three lawmakers of Japan's main ruling party have left the party, to take responsibility for having visited dining and drinking places despite the current state of emergency.

The three are former chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission Matsumoto Jun, state minister of education Tanose Taido and deputy Diet Affairs chief Otsuka Takashi.

Japan's government has begun shipping ultra-low temperature freezers for storing coronavirus vaccines to public hospitals across the country.

The government wants to start inoculating medical workers with the vaccine developed by Pfizer in late February. The vaccine must be kept at around minus 75 degrees Celsius.

Three lawmakers of Japan's main ruling party have tendered their resignations to the party on Monday, to take responsibility for having visited dining and drinking places despite the current state of emergency.

A senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party revealed the move on Monday afternoon.

A mayor in southwestern Japan who opposes a plan to host US military exercises in his city has won another term, dealing a potential setback to the central government's plan to relocate the drills.

Yaita Shunsuke won the election in Nishinoomote City in Kagoshima Prefecture on Sunday.

A lawmaker of Japan's junior coalition party has tendered his resignation from the Diet following a report that he visited a Tokyo hostess bar late at night while the capital was under a state of emergency.

Lower House lawmaker, Toyama Kiyohiko of Komeito, submitted his resignation to the chamber's speaker on Monday.

Analysts estimate Japan's GDP grew in the October-to-December period last year. However, they have a gloomy view of the current quarter as the state of emergency put in place in early January puts the brakes on the economy.

Ten private-sector research institutes have annualized GDP projections ranging from 5.6 to 14.1 percent growth for the three months that ended last December, Japan's fiscal third quarter.

New data shows that consumers in Japan shied away from spending on travel and dining in the first half of January as another state of emergency was declared due to the coronavirus.

Research firm Nowcast and credit card company JCB analyzed customer transactions for the first 15 days of January. Their consumption index dropped 18.5 percent compared to the same period last year.

Japanese scientists have captured rare atomic-level footage of salt forming into crystals using a leading-edge electron microscope.

A group led by Project Professor Nakamura Eiichi at the University of Tokyo's School of Science took the video. They say it is the first-ever atomic resolution video of salt crystals forming in real time.