Japanese government officials have agreed on a plan to set total defense spending for the next five fiscal years at 40 to 43 trillion yen, or around 300 billion dollars.
They discussed the appropriate amount after Prime Minister Kishida Fumio instructed ministers to raise the annual defense and other related budgets to 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product in fiscal 2027.
Consumer prices in Tokyo have been rising this month at their fastest pace in four decades. City residents were hit especially hard by soaring costs for food, electricity and gas.
The internal affairs ministry says the consumer price index for November rose 3.6 percent from a year ago in the capital's 23 wards. That was the highest figure since April 1982.
Every December people across Japan prepare to head back to their hometowns to spend the New Year holidays with family. But this time, many will be staying put to avoid potentially spreading the coronavirus. To make up for it, people are spending big on gifts to send to their families and friends instead.
Traditionally, people in Japan send gifts known as "Oseibo" as a show of appreciation for the year that's passed. Department store officials say sales of fine wine and meat are booming, lifting holiday gift sales beyond last year's levels.
An annual event choosing the kanji, or Chinese character, that best summarizes this year's atmosphere in Japan has been held.
The kanji of 2020 chosen through a contest is read as "mitsu" meaning "close" or "dense." The character was used in the government's anti-coronavirus campaign of avoiding the Three C's: closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings.
A major Buddhist temple in the city of Narita near Tokyo has been spruced up for the New Year.
About 40 monks and staff members wearing masks gathered in the main hall of Naritasan Shinshoji Temple shortly after 5:00 a.m. and began dusting Buddhist statues and altar ornaments with brushes and cloths.
Japan's Science and Technology Policy Minister Inoue Shinji says the government plans to decide its policy on the country's leading academic body by the year-end.
Inoue was speaking to reporters after he received reform proposals for the Science Council of Japan from the main governing Liberal Democratic Party on Friday.
One of Tokyo's most popular spots for viewing the first sunrise of the year will be closed on New Year's Day, due to precautions against the spread of coronavirus infections.
Mount Takao in western Tokyo usually attracts large crowds of people hoping to observe the year's first sunrise from the summit.
Tokyo's benchmark stock index rose sharply on Tuesday, closing at its highest of the year. Investors bought shares after a long weekend that delivered good news about coronavirus vaccines.
The Nikkei Stock Average ended the day at 26,165, up 2.5 percent from Friday's close. Buy orders were placed almost across the board from the opening.