Hundreds of people have gathered in a city in southwestern Japan to remember a Japanese doctor who was killed in Afghanistan three years ago while working on humanitarian projects.

Nakamura Tetsu dedicated many years helping with Afghan healthcare and farmland regeneration projects including construction of irrigation systems as a member of the Japanese NGO Peshawar-kai. The doctor was fatally shot on December 4, 2019, at the age of 73.

A group of thirty-five people from Japan and the United States have attended a memorial ceremony for soldiers who died in a fierce battle on the Pacific island of Ioto during World War Two.

Around 21,900 Japanese soldiers and about 6,800 US servicemen lost their lives on the island, also known as Iwojima, in the closing days of World War Two.

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.

Japan's health minister has indicated the government is considering scaling down its annual ceremony in August commemorating the war-dead.

Kato Katsunobu told reporters on Tuesday that full precautions must be taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The Japanese government has decided to cancel the national memorial ceremony for the victims of the March 11, 2011, disaster because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The decision was made at a cabinet meeting on Friday. The government believes that this is a crucial time for containing the outbreak.

Japan's government is planning to cancel its national memorial ceremony for the victims of the March 11, 2011, earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The annual ceremony was due to take place on Wednesday next week, the ninth anniversary of the disaster.

Organizers of an event to showcase Japanese culture in line with this summer's Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games unveiled on Friday the details of the opening ceremony.

The ceremony for the Japan Cultural Expo will be held on March 14 in two parts at the Tokyo National Museum.