Police in Tokyo have arrested four officials at a staffing agency on suspicion of having a Vietnamese work illegally.

Those arrested are managing director Yamakawa Tomokazu and three others of Motoki Shoji, based in the city's Toshima Ward.

Japanese immigration authorities have temporarily enabled people who cannot return to their countries amid the coronavirus pandemic to work part-time in Japan.

The Immigration Services Agency put the measure into effect on Tuesday.

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Kajiyama Hiroshi says the government will work to put the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP into effect promptly.

Kajiyama spoke to reporters after an online summit and signing ceremony he attended with Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide.

An artwork by the French teacher of the man who changed the course of Japanese modern painting has gone on display for the first time in 120 years.

French painter Raphael Collin taught Kuroda Seiki, who is regarded as Japan's father of modern Western-style painting, when Kuroda studied in France in the late 19th century.

Members of a Japanese government panel met for the first time on Wednesday to study ways to achieve ambitious greenhouse gas targets. The experts discussed how to take the country to net zero emissions by 2050.

The panel aims to set numeric targets for technological development, and ways to support companies that get involved. Cabinet ministers who took part in the meeting said innovation will be crucial to reaching the government's gas reduction target.

Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has pledged to work with the government of Japan's northern prefecture of Hokkaido to curb the spread of the coronavirus there.

Hokkaido Governor Suzuki Naomichi visited the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Tuesday to brief Suga about the recent surge of infections in his prefecture.

The Japanese government appears intent on collaborating with an incoming US administration to jointly lead efforts to bolster international cooperation.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide tweeted a congratulatory message to US Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their projected victory in the US presidential election.

Construction machinery makers are adopting digital technologies to improve disaster recovery work.

This comes as Japan marks on Monday one year since Typhoon Hagibis made landfall in the country. The storm caused rivers to overflow, inflicting considerable damage.

Japan's Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have agreed to work closer together to strengthen their bilateral alliance and realize a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Motegi and Pompeo met in person over lunch in Tokyo on Tuesday ahead of four-way talks with the foreign ministers of Australia and India later in the day.

Japan's prime minister and the head of the International Olympic Committee have agreed to work closely to hold next year's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics safely.

Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and IOC President Thomas Bach spoke by phone for about 15 minutes on Wednesday. The talks were their first since Suga took office as prime minister last week.

Japan's new prime minister Suga Yoshihide has spent his first full day in the country's top job. He and his newly minted ministers wasted no time getting down to business.

Suga said, "My cabinet is ready to serve the people. We will try to deliver tangible results and live up to their expectations."

Work to extend the operational life of two aging nuclear reactors in Japan is expected to be completed on Friday.

The No. 3 reactor at the Mihama nuclear power plant turns 44 years old in December, and the No. 1 reactor at the Takahama plant will be 46 years old in November. Both are in Fukui Prefecture and run by Kansai Electric Power Company, or KEPCO.

One day after Suga Yoshihide became Japan's Prime Minister, he and his cabinet members got down to business.

Suga said, "I am determined to work hard for the Japanese people and will try to live up to their expectations."

Japan's new Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide says his cabinet is in full swing and ready to get down to business on its first full day in office.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday morning, Suga said, "I am determined to work hard for the Japanese people and will try to live up to their expectations."