The Japanese government is finalizing the details of its planned extension to the nationwide state of emergency, ahead of a formal decision on Monday.
On Friday, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo said his government plans to keep the measure in place for about a month to contain the spread of the coronavirus. It was set to expire on Wednesday.
Japan plans to ship the anti-flu drug Avigan to 43 countries after its holiday period ends next Wednesday. The drug is seen as a potential treatment for people infected with the coronavirus.
Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu said on Friday that nearly 80 countries have requested free supplies of Avigan, which was developed by a Japanese company.
Analysts believe Japan's GDP shrank in the January-March quarter due to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.
Ten private research institutes project annualized growth rates of between minus 3.5 percent and minus 6.5 percent.
Japan's government plans to unveil a basic idea on how to partially reopen the economy when it announces an extension of the nationwide state of emergency.
The government is due to hold a meeting of its coronavirus task force on Monday and decide to extend the state of emergency for about one month. The measure is set to expire on Wednesday.
Japan's government has begun procedures to fast-track approval of the antiviral drug remdesivir as a possible treatment for coronavirus patients.
The move follows US authorization on Friday for emergency use of the drug to treat COVID-19. Remdesivir was originally developed as a treatment for Ebola.
Japan's state of emergency due to coronavirus outbreak continues to bring an unusual quiet to roads, transportation and tourist spots in the holiday period that began in late April.
On Saturday, the first day of the five-day consecutive holiday, popular destinations in Tokyo are almost deserted as people respond to calls to stay home.
The Japanese government is finalizing the details of its planned extension to the nationwide state of emergency, ahead of a formal decision on Monday.
On Friday, Prime Minister Abe Shinzo said his government plans to keep the measure in place for about a month to contain the spread of the coronavirus. It was set to expire on Wednesday.
TOKYO — Japan's monthly auto sales dropped to a nine-year low in April, industry data showed on Friday, after a state of emergency called by the government to contain the national outbreak of the novel coronavirus left showrooms deserted.
In the latest indicator of the widening impact of the virus on the world's third-largest economy, vehicles sales fell 29% in April from the same period a year ago to 270,393, according to data from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and an association for dealers of Japan's "kei" minicars.
A government panel of experts in Japan says social restrictions should vary by region depending on the scale of local coronavirus infections.
A nationwide state of emergency is set to expire on May 6. The government is planning to extend it for about one month, and is seeking experts' views.
Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo says the government will weigh various options when considering whether to change the start of the school year from April to September.
Abe commented on calls for the change at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on Wednesday. Some governors and opposition parties want the start of the academic year to be pushed back to September as school closures have been prolonged amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In Japan, the Toyota GR Supra is split into SZ, SZ-R, and RZ trims. The SZ and SZ-R trims use a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, while the RZ trim uses a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six. For 2021, Toyota upgraded the RZ with more power and announced two special-edition models, one in Horizon Blue and the other in Matte Storm Gray Metallic. The Horizon Blue Edition also features new wheels and matching interior accents and is limited to 100 units.
The 3.0-liter engine in the Japanese GR Supra RZ is getting an update for the new model year. The outgoing model produced a claimed 335 horsepower, as does the current U.S. Supra, at 5,000 rpm, and 369 lb-ft of torque at 1,600-4,500 rpm. Weighing in at 3,351 pounds, it could race from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds (American market figure). The new Supra RZ will make a claimed 382 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and keeps the same torque number of 369 lb-ft but at at 1,800-5,000 rpm. It adds 22 pounds for a total weight of 3,373 pounds and can sprint from 0-60 mph in a slightly improved 3.9 seconds.
Traffic was thin at major transportation hubs and highways throughout Japan at the start of the country's week-long spring holiday on Wednesday. This comes amid a government request for people to refrain from traveling due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Japan Railway group companies say less than 10 percent of non-reserved seats on Shinkansen bullet trains were occupied.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan increased to 13,895 on Tuesday as 282 new cases were announced nationwide.
The tally includes people tested at airport quarantine stations, health ministry officials, quarantine officers and individuals who returned to Japan from China on government-chartered planes. It also includes infections among the crew of the Costa Atlantica cruise ship docked in Nagasaki, western Japan.
The 2021 model year upgrades received by the Toyota GR Supra in North America and Europe will soon find their way to Japan too, headlined by two new special edition models.