The Science Council of Japan has decided to ask Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide to explain why he refused to appoint six people as new members of the leading academic body, and renew its request for their appointment.

The council is designated as a special organization under the jurisdiction of the prime minister, but makes policy proposals independently from the government.

Japanese officials are stepping up efforts to tackle an increasing number of cases of fraud involving coronavirus-related subsidies.

Japan's government is providing subsidies of up to 19,000 dollars to small and medium-sized companies and up to 9,500 dollars for freelancers and other self-employed people whose earnings have dropped sharply due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Japanese government will cover the cost of vaccinations against coronavirus infection. It will also pay compensation to people who develop side effects.

The government presented a vaccination plan to a panel of experts at the health ministry on Friday. It stipulates that anyone who develops side effects will be eligible for financial support and other relief measures.

Some US media outlets report that six people who attended the event introducing President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The ceremony was held at the White House Rose Garden on September 26.

The Japan National Championships for track and field events ended on Saturday after three days of competition.

As sports events have been postponed or cancelled one after another due to the coronavirus outbreak, the three-day tournament was a key test of how to manage future sporting competitions.

This is the first weekend since trips to or from Tokyo have been included in the government's nation-wide tourism stimulus campaign, "Go To Travel". The initiative offers large subsidies to tourists to help support the pandemic-hit economy.

The country's tallest tower, Tokyo Skytree is offering a 50 percent discount on the admission price this weekend. Visitors can also use special "Go To travel" coupons at cafes and other outlets inside the complex.

Japan's health minister has vowed to double the daily capacity of coronavirus antigen tests at airports to 20,000 as Japan eases entry restrictions for foreigners from around the world.

Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Tamura Norihisa visited the quarantine station at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Saturday. He inspected how saliva-based antigen tests were conducted for entrants to Japan.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says it confirmed 207 new cases of the coronavirus in the Japanese capital on Saturday.

The preliminary figure as of 3 p.m. brings the total number of confirmed cases in Tokyo to 26,376.

Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has sent a tweet wishing US President Donald Trump an early recovery from the coronavirus.

Suga wrote on Saturday that he was worried after reading Trump's tweet announcing that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive.

The Science Council of Japan plans to ask the government to explain why it refused to appoint six people as new members of the leading academic body, and renew its request for their appointment.

The council on Friday decided to make the request after Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide did not appoint six of the 105 nominees, who would have joined the council from Thursday if they were approved.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 196 new coronavirus cases on Friday.

The figure brings the total number of infections in the Japanese capital to 26,169.

The Science Council of Japan says it wants Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide to explain why he refused to appoint some of its nominated candidates. It has also decided to repeat its call for their appointment.

The council is designated as a special organization under the jurisdiction of the prime minister. It makes policy proposals independently from the government.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu says the prime minister has jurisdiction over the Science Council of Japan, and that his appointments were made legally.

Kato said at a news conference on Friday that regulatory reforms have been made so that the council can conduct its activities with a comprehensive view through which it's not bound by achievements in fields of expertise.

Data compiled by Japanese police show the number of suicides among young women has been increasing sharply.

The National Police Agency says 1,854 people committed suicide across the country in August. This was a rise by 251, or 16 percent, from the same month last year.