Another blast of heavy snow is expected for coastal areas of the country along the Sea of Japan starting around Friday evening.

Due to a strong cold air mass over the Japanese archipelago, coupled with the season's typical atmospheric air pattern, heavy snow continued falling in mountainous areas from northern through western Japan.

Japanese authorities reported more than 3,200 cases on Thursday... the most ever. More than 191,000 people have now tested positive in the country. Over 2,800 people have died.

A record 822 cases were reported in Tokyo on Thursday.

Heavy snowfall on Thursday stranded more than 1,000 vehicles on a Japanese expressway.

The line of cars and trucks on this highway connecting Tokyo to Niigata stretched for a full fifteen kilometers. Many had no access to food or water for hours.

Japanese authorities have reported more than 3,200 coronavirus cases so far on Thursday... the most ever.

More than 191,000 people have now tested positive in the country. Around 2,800 people have died.

Japan and the United States have decided to put off seeking a conclusion on Japan's share of the cost of stationing US forces in the country before the end of the year.

The two sides began working-level talks on the matter last month as the current arrangement, which is agreed upon every five years, is set to expire in March.

In Japan, coronavirus cases continue to climb --- at the end of a three-week period dubbed "crucial" to containment efforts.

Officials say the national tally for Wednesday is around 3,000 --- making it the second worst day on record.

A broad swath of Japan is digging itself out from a massive snowfall. Weather officials are warning of slippery roads - and even avalanches - for areas stretching from Hokkaido down to western Japan.

Residents of a community north of Tokyo spent the morning clearing away a blanket of fresh snow. A record 128 centimeters of the white stuff fell over Minakami Town in a single day.

The season's most powerful cold air mass over Japan is bringing heavy snow to areas on the Sea of Japan coast from Hokkaido in the north and to the Chugoku region in the southwest. Weather officials are calling for caution against avalanches, icy roads, and traffic disruptions.

Snowfall in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning was 128 centimeters in Minakami Town in Gunma Prefecture, and 113 centimeters in Yuzawa Town in Niigata Prefecture -- both the heaviest 24-hour snowfalls on record.

Japan and Uzbekistan have agreed to work closely together to promote the open and stable development of Central Asia.

Japan's Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Uzbekistan's Deputy Prime Minister Sardor Umurzakov met for about an hour in Tokyo on Tuesday to discuss ways to strengthen relations.

Japan's latest efforts to block the spread of the coronavirus are not going down well with the tourism industry. With cases on the rise, the government opted to temporarily halt a travel subsidy program nationwide for a period of two weeks around the New Year holiday.

The announcement caught many would-be tourists off guard. An online booking company says it's been caught in a deluge of inquiries -- with most deciding to cancel their trips outright.

Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has announced that the government will temporarily suspend its "Go To Travel" campaign across the country from December 28 to January 11. The move is aimed at containing the spread of coronavirus infections during the year-end and New Year holidays.

Suga made the announcement at a government taskforce meeting on Monday evening.

Japan's government finalized plans for social security reforms on Monday. Officials hope the changes will make the system more balanced and beneficial across age groups.

Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said, "Japan's population is aging rapidly with fewer children. We have a responsibility to pass on a social security system that limits the burden on working people and offers all generations peace of mind."

Japan is seeing a surge in coronavirus cases across the country. Daily cases topped 3,000 for the first time on Saturday. The spread of infections will likely affect the way people spend the year-end holidays.

The minister in charge of the COVID-19 response said the government is approaching the situation with a sense of extreme urgency.

An expert panel at Japan's health ministry has given a go-ahead to sales of the country's first genome-edited food.

The panel on Friday approved an application for the sale of a tomato whose genome has been edited to make it produce more of an amino acid called GABA. The substance is said to help lower blood pressure.