The Japanese government is set to announce a state of quasi-emergency for coronavirus infections for 13 more prefectures, including Tokyo, to give governors the power to beef up anti-infection measures.
New coronavirus infections topped 30,000 nationwide for the first time on Tuesday, surpassing the previous high of nearly 26,000 in August 2021, when the fifth wave of infections peaked.
Japan exceeded 27,000 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, breaking a daily record. The previous record of 25,992 cases was logged in August.
The number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are isolated at home has soared to over 10,000 in Tokyo, reflecting the recent rapid spread of infections blamed on the Omicron variant.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government said there were 10,814 such people on Monday, exceeding the 10,000 mark for the first time since the virus' fifth wave of infections last summer.
The Japanese government is considering imposing stricter anti-virus measures in Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures to curb the rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
On Monday, Japanese health officials confirmed more than 20,000 new cases of the coronavirus nationwide for the fourth consecutive day.
A Japanese research team says shock waves running through the air were observed across Japan about seven hours after Saturday's volcanic eruption off Tonga.
The team at Kochi University of Technology has observation equipment at 25 locations across Japan. The devices are designed to detect shock waves in frequencies too low to be felt by humans, and which are produced by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures want a new tool to fight surging coronavirus cases. Their leaders will ask the central government to announce a quasi-emergency.
This would give governors the authority to beef up anti-infection measures. That could mean asking restaurants and bars to shorten business hours or stop serving alcohol.
Japan's government is set to allow in a few dozen foreign students now barred from entry. But tens of thousands of others remain in limbo.
The government has instituted a near total ban on the new entry of foreigners.
Japan's government has submitted a record draft budget to the Diet for the fiscal year that begins in April. The package earmarks funds for anti-coronavirus measures.
The government formally approved the draft budget for fiscal 2022 at a Cabinet meeting on Monday before submitting it to the ordinary Diet session.
NHK has learned that Japan's government plans to exempt dozens of foreign students from the entry ban imposed to prevent the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
The government is denying entry to new foreign arrivals through the end of next month. It pledges to flexibly consider whether to grant exemptions based on humanitarian grounds, national interests and other special circumstances.
Women who recently came of age took part in a New Year's archery event at a Buddhist temple in Kyoto on Sunday.
The women wearing kimono shot arrows in the annual event at Sanjusangendo, ahead of the national Japanese archery championships. The temple is a designated national treasure.
People gathered on Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, to remember the victims of the massive earthquake that devastated Kobe on January 17, 1995.
About 50 people congregated early Monday at Hokudan Earthquake Memorial Park, which is located near the focus of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. There, a memorial cenotaph for the victims has been built, and a section of the Nojima Fault that was exposed during the quake has been preserved.
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and US President Joe Biden will meet virtually on Friday, US Eastern Time.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki made the announcement in a statement on Sunday.
Monday marks 27 years since a devastating earthquake struck western Japan, claiming thousands of lives.
The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake violently jolted Hyogo Prefecture and nearby areas on January 17, 1995, destroying scores of buildings and causing fires. The death toll from the quake totaled 6,434.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says it has not figured out the mechanism of changes in tidal levels triggered by Saturday's volcanic eruption near Tonga because they lack regular features of tsunami.
Tsukada Shinya, the head of the Earthquake and Tsunami Observation Division, told reporters on Sunday that the agency's estimate of the arrival time of the tsunami was based on the assumption it was generated near the volcano.