Japan's leading steelmaker is showing signs of a continuing recovery in the global economy. Nippon Steel says it will restart another furnace that's been offline due to the pandemic slowdown.
Executives say they plan to fire up a blast furnace in Ibaraki Prefecture near Tokyo by the end of January.
Japan's health ministry says 705 working-age men in their 20s to 50s committed suicide nationwide in September.
The number is up 56, 8.6 percent higher than the figure in the same month last year.
Japan's industrial production rose sharply in July as factory activity continued to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The industry ministry says production rose 8 percent in July from the previous month. It marks the second consecutive month of increase. Automakers and parts makers boosted their output for overseas markets. They had been forced to cut production as COVID-19 stifled global demand.
The death toll from the heavy rain that began hitting Japan last weekend has risen to 70. Most of the victims are in Kumamoto Prefecture and elsewhere in Kyushu.
One person was found with no vital signs, while 13 others remain unaccounted for.
More people in Japan crossed prefectural borders on the first weekend since the government eased restrictions on such travel.
Cell phone data show the number of people who went from Tokyo to other prefectures on Saturday and Sunday rose 11 percent from the previous week. Travel to Tokyo from other prefectures grew by 14 percent.