Japan's former transport minister Hata Yuichiro, who died on Sunday at the age of 53, has become the first incumbent lawmaker in the country to die of the coronavirus.
Hata developed a fever on Thursday and was due to take a PCR test on Sunday. His condition deteriorated suddenly while on his way to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
NHK has learned that Japanese machinery maker IHI has developed technology to use ammonia as a fuel for thermal power generation, potentially cutting carbon dioxide emissions by more than half.
IHI has been working to develop technology for the "co-firing" of natural gas and ammonia. Ammonia does not emit carbon dioxide when burnt.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 481 new cases of coronavirus in the Japanese capital on Monday.
That daily tally is the highest for a Monday since the pandemic began. The Monday figure is usually lower as many medical institutions are closed on weekends.
Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide says his government is responding with promptness to new strains of the coronavirus.
Suga told reporters on Monday that Japan had suspended entry of non-resident foreign nationals as a proactive measure to protect the people of Japan.
The Japanese government has suspended entry of non-resident foreign nationals to Japan to prevent the transmission of coronavirus variants.
The measure is taking effect on Monday and will continue through January 31. A similar restriction is already in effect for travelers from the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Japan's health ministry says it has confirmed the country's eighth case of infection with a new strain of the coronavirus.
The ministry says a Tokyo resident in her 50s tested positive for the variant on Sunday.
A total of 2,948 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed across Japan on Sunday.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 708 new cases, the highest-ever figure for a Sunday. The daily tally for the capital has topped 700 for the fifth straight day. The number of patients in serious condition reached 82, the highest since the state of emergency was lifted in May.
The new coronavirus pandemic has dealt a serious blow to Japan's traditional performing arts such as Kabuki dramas and Noh plays.
More than 4,300 performances were cancelled or postponed, resulting in losses of more than160 million dollars.
Production of traditional daruma dolls is peaking in a city north of Tokyo ahead of the New Year.
Artisans in Takasaki City in Gunma Prefecture have been making the dolls, which are said to bring good luck, since the 19th century. The city is currently home to around 50 workshops and boasts the largest daruma output in Japan.
Shinto priests have replaced a sacred rope over the Nachi Falls in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, ahead of the New Year.
The falls are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. A nearby shrine worships the falls as its deity.
Officials across Japan had confirmed 2,948 new cases of the coronavirus as of 10:30 p.m. on Sunday.
By prefecture, Tokyo reported 708 cases, Kanagawa 343, Osaka 233, Aichi 216 and Saitama 211.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 708 new cases of the coronavirus in the Japanese capital on Sunday.
The daily tally is the highest ever for a Sunday and topped 700 for the fifth straight day.
Hospital beds in Japan are filling up as the number of the coronavirus infection cases increases rapidly.
Beds for those who are critically ill are nearing capacity, especially in Tokyo and Osaka.
The Japanese government has decided to suspend new entries of all non-resident foreign nationals following the detection of variants of the coronavirus outside the country.
The government will implement the measure between December 28 and January 31.