Sources say a former head of major poultry firm Akita Foods has told people close to him that he gave cash to politicians including former agriculture minister Nishikawa Koya.

Nishikawa stepped down as special advisor to Japan's Cabinet on Tuesday, citing personal reasons.

Japan's healthcare system is threatening to buckle under the weight of spiking coronavirus cases. Medical teams from the Self-Defense Forces have begun assisting frontline workers at two facilities in the country's north hit with cluster infections.

Five SDF nurses will engage in the mission for two weeks at a hospital where nearly 200 people were confirmed to be infected.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says it confirmed 572 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday.

The capital's daily tally is the second-largest, following 584 cases reported on Saturday.

Lawmakers from Japan's ruling party have approved the Defense Ministry's plan to construct two new vessels equipped with the Aegis anti-ballistic missile system.

Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo explained the plan at a defense and security affairs meeting of the Liberal Democratic Party on Wednesday.

Police in Tokyo have arrested four officials at a staffing agency on suspicion of having a Vietnamese work illegally.

Those arrested are managing director Yamakawa Tomokazu and three others of Motoki Shoji, based in the city's Toshima Ward.

One of Tokyo's most popular spots for viewing the first sunrise of the year will be closed on New Year's Day, due to precautions against the spread of coronavirus infections.

Mount Takao in western Tokyo usually attracts large crowds of people hoping to observe the year's first sunrise from the summit.

Japan's Empress Masako marked her 57th birthday on Wednesday.

In a statement released by the Imperial Household Agency, the Empress said this year has reminded her of the importance and value of human life. She said it has been painful to see the level of devastation caused around the world by the coronavirus pandemic.

Japan Self-Defense Force medical teams are in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido to help with large clusters of coronavirus infections.

Ground Self-Defense Force personnel started working Wednesday at Keiyu-kai Yoshida Hospital and Hokkaido Ryoikuen, a facility for people with physical and intellectual disabilities.

Japan's government is drafting its budget for the next financial year. Fighting COVID-19 is at the heart of its plans. It also wants to shift to a greener and more digital society.

Monitoring risks will be a key focus in the budget, as the pandemic casts its shadow over the economy.

The Japanese government says former agriculture minister and senior Liberal Democrat, Nishikawa Koya, stepped down as special advisor to the cabinet on Tuesday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu told reporters he heard that Nishikawa had offered to resign, citing personal reasons.

Japan's government plans to ask prefectures to send nurses and doctors to each other to ease the serious strain on hospitals treating coronavirus patients.

Government officials plan to launch a framework for inter-prefectural cooperation by seeking the support of the National Governors' Association.

Help is on the way to Japan's northern prefecture of Hokkaido, which has been hit by cluster infections of the coronavirus. With hospitals struggling with a healthcare worker shortage, the Defense Minister is sending in reinforcements from the Self-Defense Forces.

Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo said, "We concluded that emergency medical assistance to Hokkaido Prefecture is necessary, so we decided to send SDF medical assistance teams on a disaster-relief mission as early as today."

Japan's Environment Ministry says the country's greenhouse gas emissions for the fiscal year that ended in March hit a record low.

The ministry's preliminary figures show Japan's domestic emissions in fiscal 2019 amounted to a carbon dioxide equivalent of 1.213 billion tons. That's down 34 million tons, or 2.7 percent, from the previous year and is the sixth straight annual decline.

A nationwide survey shows that hospitals and clinics in Japan are experiencing shortages of disposable medical gloves.

In the spring, amid the initial spread of coronavirus infections, nurses and other healthcare professionals faced severe shortages of personal protective equipment.