The Japanese government is expected to expand its state of emergency on Wednesday in an effort to counter a steep rise in coronavirus infections.
The declaration currently covers Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures. It went into effect last Friday and will remain in place until February 7.
The governors of Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures have asked the central government to take more steps to curb coronavirus infections.
The governors of Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa met Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide, the minister in charge of the coronavirus response, Nishimura Yasutoshi, and other senior officials on Tuesday.
The Japanese government is considering giving greater legal authority to prefectural governors in an effort to respond to the spread of the coronavirus more effectively.
Under the plan, governors will be allowed to order business operators in their prefecture to change operating hours even before the central government declares a state of emergency.
The number of people infected with seasonal flu in Japan continues to remain dramatically below that of the average year.
The health ministry said about 5,000 designated medical institutions around the country reported 69 influenza cases in the week through January 3. That's the same number as the previous week.
The Japanese government is considering expanding its state of emergency in an effort to counter a steep rise in coronavirus infections.
The declaration currently covers Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures. It went into effect last Friday and will remain in place until February 7.
Disapproval of the cabinet led by Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has surpassed approval in the latest NHK opinion poll.
NHK carried out the survey over the weekend by calling randomly picked phone numbers of people aged 18 and older. A total 1,278 people, or 59 percent of those contacted, responded.
NHK has learned that researchers at Keio University have detected a strain of coronavirus that is different from others currently spreading in Japan.
A team led by Professor Kosaki Kenjiro of the Keio University School of Medicine has been analyzing the genes of coronavirus samples from patients at 13 hospitals across the country.
Sources say Tokyo prosecutors plan to soon indict former agriculture minister Yoshikawa Takamori on charges of accepting bribes from a major egg producer during his term in office.
Yoshikawa allegedly received 5 million yen, or about 48,000 dollars, from a former head of Akita Foods in Hiroshima Prefecture between November 2018 and August 2019.
The Japanese government is considering expanding its state of emergency in an effort to counter a steep rise in coronavirus infections.
The declaration currently covers Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures. It went into effect last Friday and will remain in place until February 7.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 970 new coronavirus infections in the Japanese capital on Tuesday.
It is the first time Tokyo's daily tally has dropped below 1,000 since January 4.
The head of the organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games has expressed his commitment to hold the events this summer.
Mori Yoshiro delivered an online New Year's address to approximately 3,500 committee staff members in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Japan's Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu has pledged continued support for Senegal in its efforts to deal with the coronavirus and strengthen its medical system.
Motegi met Senegalese Foreign Affairs Minister Aissata Tall Sall on Sunday and Monday during a visit to the West African country.
Japanese weather officials say snowfall is forecast for the Pacific side of the country, as the heavy snow that hit Sea of Japan areas subsides.
They say while the accumulations near the Japan Sea may have peaked, vigilance is still needed for traffic disruptions and snow-related accidents.
The Japanese government is moving toward declaring a state of emergency for another three prefectures in western Japan as early as this week. Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures are already subject to the measure.
Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide discussed the matter with Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu and the minister in charge of coronavirus response, Nishimura Yasutoshi, on Monday.