Tokyo has lowered its coronavirus alert level by one notch in response to a weekly fall in new cases, after keeping the alert at its highest level on a four-point scale for nearly two months.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government made the decision on Thursday at a meeting with public health and infectious disease experts to assess the situation.
The head of the International Olympic Committee has stressed that the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics can only be held in a safe environment for all participants.
IOC President Thomas Bach held a news conference on Wednesday after an online executive board meeting.
Russia's presidential office spokesperson has expressed hope that the successor of Japan's Prime Minister Abe Shinzo will remain committed to boosting ties with Moscow to resolve the issue involving Russian-controlled islands claimed by Japan.
Dmitry Peskov spoke to the state-run Tass news agency about peace treaty negotiations that will continue under a new Japanese leader. Abe has announced his intention to step down to deal with health issues.
NHK has learned that 34 users of the e-money service of mobile carrier NTT Docomo have had a total of 10 million yen, or over 94 thousand dollars, illicitly withdrawn from their bank accounts as of Wednesday.
NTT Docomo says it will enter discussions on compensating the victims with the banks in question.
Japan's Foreign Minister has expressed concern over China's advances in the South China Sea at the East Asia Summit with his counterparts.
Toshimitsu Motegi took part in the online meeting held late Wednesday, Japan time. The event was attended by foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as Japan, China, the United States, Russia and others.
The Japanese government may end its cap on the number of spectators at public events set at a maximum of 5,000, if new coronavirus cases are assessed to be on the decline.
Nishimura Yasutoshi, minister in charge of the coronavirus response, told reporters on Wednesday that the governing bodies of Japan's professional baseball and soccer are asking for the limit to be eased.
Tokyo prosecutors have served lawmaker Akimoto Tsukasa a fresh arrest warrant over new allegations of witness tampering in connection with a government-backed casino resort project.
The Lower House member is awaiting trial on a charge of accepting bribes from a Chinese company that aimed to take part in the project. At the time, Akimoto was a state minister in charge of Japan's integrated resorts, which include casinos.
A new survey shows that about 80 percent of the children who contracted the coronavirus in Japan were likely infected by family members.
The Japan Pediatric Society has created a database of coronavirus infected children from newborn to the age of 19. The data was provided by medical institutions from across the country that participated in the survey.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government says it confirmed 149 new cases of the coronavirus in the capital on Wednesday.
The total number of infections in Tokyo has reached 22,168.
NHK has learned that more than 2,600 people have died over the ensuing years after being evacuated from their hometowns following the meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011.
NHK contacted local governments in Fukushima Prefecture and found that at least 2,670 people, about 10 percent of the original population, had died as of August. More than 26,500 people lived in seven municipalities near the plant. Where they lived have been designated no-entry zones for nearly nine and a half years because radiation levels remain high.
Medical experts in Japan have drawn up recommendations for coronavirus treatment options.
The Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine compiled the first guideline of its kind after analyzing reports from across the world.
Japan's government says it will place anti-dumping duties on Chinese chemical products used in thermal insulation. The measures will stay in place for five years.
The government says a probe concluded that the flame retardant chemical called Trisphosphate is priced below fair market value.
Three candidates are in the race to become the next leader of the main ruling party in Japan. Their experiences are as diverse as their political backgrounds.
One of the contenders is Ishiba Shigeru, who had not even turned 30 by the time he secured a seat in the Lower House.
A hospital in Japan is using a robot to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The device is linked to a system that enables doctors and nurses to check on inpatients without having to enter their wards.