The season's first catch of snow crabs has been auctioned in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan.

The snow crab season in the Sea of Japan off Tottori and other prefectures began on Friday.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 294 new cases of coronavirus infection on Saturday.

The daily figure has exceeded 200 for three days in a row.

Japan's northern prefecture of Hokkaido has decided to raise its alert for the coronavirus outbreak by one notch to Level 3 on a scale of five.

The move comes after the prefectural government raised the alert to Level 2 in October amid a resurgence in the number of new infections. The government asked residents and businesses to cooperate with the various restrictions.

NHK has learned that Japan's immigration authority will allow some foreigners who have refused deportation orders to stay with family members or supporters, outside of government facilities, if they meet certain conditions.

The Immigration Services Agency is working on a draft revision of the laws on immigration and deportation.

A job placement center and a university in Tokyo have agreed to work together to help students from abroad find jobs in Japan.

The Shinjuku Hello Work office and Sophia University reached the first agreement of its kind in the country. About 1,500 foreign students are studying at the university.

NHK has learned that Japan and China have agreed to resume round trip business travel between the two countries beginning in mid-November. It applies to both short- and long-term trips.

The government of Japan is gradually easing restrictions which it imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

As vote counting continues in the US presidential election, the Japanese government plans to strengthen communication with the US and other countries over the security situation in East Asia.

Some Japanese government officials have expressed concern about a possible political vacuum caused by a delay in determining the election's outcome.

Officials in Japan reported over 1,000 new coronavirus cases for the second day in a row. In particular, the northern prefecture of Hokkaido is under the spotlight as infections there are surging.

Hokkaido Governor Suzuki Naomichi said, " We are deeply alarmed by this danger. Winter is coming, so this is a crucial time as we work to keep the outbreak in check."

Special signboards with the names of the Kabuki actors starring in yearend performances at Kyoto's Minamiza Theater are being created at a temple in the western Japanese city.

About 40 "maneki" signboards are being prepared at Myodenji Temple. The boards are about 2 meters long.

Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has again defended his decision to reject some of the nominees for the Science Council of Japan, saying that it does not undermine the top academic body's independence.

Suga spoke at a Diet committee meeting on Friday about his refusal to appoint six nominees. His decision to break from the custom of appointing everyone recommended by the council has generated controversy.

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko has urged people to be careful not to bring the coronavirus home, stressing the importance of protecting the elderly.

Koike was speaking at a news conference on Friday, when the capital reported 242 new cases of infection. The daily figure has topped 200 for the second consecutive day.

Japan Airlines says it will issue new shares and increase its capitalization by more than 167.9 billion yen, or about 1.6 billion dollars, to shore up its finances which have been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

JAL announced plans to issue 100 million new shares by next month in both Japanese and overseas markets.

Public health experts in Japan are urging people to take anti-infection measures ahead of winter in response to surging coronavirus infections in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.

After the nationwide state of emergency was lifted in late May, the daily tally in Hokkaido hovered around 30 until early October. But the number rose to 51 on October 23, the highest since April.

NHK has learned that Japan's northern prefecture of Hokkaido is considering raising its alert for the coronavirus outbreak to Level 3 on Sunday.

The prefecture is expected to make a decision on Saturday.