Signs the coronavirus situation may be improving in Japan. Officials in Tokyo reported 276 new cases on Monday. That's the lowest figure in over two months. In Osaka, the governor has suggested he may ask the central government to lift the state of emergency before it's due to expire on March 7.

Osaka Governor Yoshimura Hirofumi said, "The declaration should be lifted if the explosion of infections is successfully contained."

An opinion poll conducted by NHK shows nearly 80 percent of respondents are expecting vaccines to help contain the coronavirus.

NHK conducted the survey for three days through Sunday by calling randomly picked phone numbers of people aged 18 and older. A total of 1,249 people, or 58 percent, responded.

Japan's government plans to convene a meeting of experts this week to consider if there are any regions where the coronavirus state of emergency can be lifted.

The government is preparing to make some changes to its basic response plan according to the revised coronavirus special measures law. The law is set to take effect on Saturday.

The latest NHK opinion poll suggests that the disapproval rate for the Cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide exceeded the approval rate for a second straight month.

NHK conducted the survey over the weekend by calling randomly picked phone numbers of people aged 18 and older. A total of 1,249 people, or 58 percent, responded.

A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine and a commercial vessel have collided off the coast of southwestern Japan. Three crewmembers of the submarine suffered minor injuries.

The collision between submarine Soryu and the commercial ship occurred some 40 kilometers southeast of Cape Ashizuri in Kochi Prefecture, at around 11:00 a.m. on Monday.

More than 130,000 people have signed an online petition protesting the president of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee Mori Yoshiro for his remarks that can be regarded as sexist.

Three women in their 20s began the petition last Thursday after Mori said meetings that involve many women take too long. He later retracted the remarks and apologized.

Japan's SoftBank Group has posted a record profit for the first nine months of the current business year. Net income was more than 3 trillion yen, or about 29 billion dollars . That was mainly due to gains from rising valuations for some of its investments.

The company says net profit for the April-to-December period was more than six times higher than a year earlier.

Tokyo's benchmark stock index reached its highest level in more than 30 years on Monday. Investors snapped up shares on hopes that proposed additional US economic stimulus will lead to a global economic recovery from the impact of COVID-19.

The Nikkei Average ended the day's session at 29,388, up 2.1 percent from Friday's close. It's the first time that the index has risen above the 29,000-mark since August 1990.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 276 new coronavirus infections in the capital on Monday. The daily tally dropped below 300 for the first time since December 7.

A total of 104,121 people have tested positive for the virus in Tokyo since the pandemic began.

Japan's health ministry is set to draw up guidelines for the safe transport of coronavirus vaccines across the country.

The ministry is instructing local governments to store vaccines developed by Pfizer at medical institutions at around minus 75 degrees Celsius.

The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee issued a statement on its website on Sunday on its president Mori Yoshiro's remarks about female board members which drew international criticism. The message states that gender equality is one of the basic principles of the Tokyo Games.

Mori said last week that board meetings with women take too long because they talk too much.

The Japanese government is considering whether to end the state of emergency amid the coronavirus pandemic in some areas before March 7.

Ten prefectures, including Tokyo, are under the state of emergency that is scheduled to end on March 7.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 429 new cases of coronavirus infection in the capital on Sunday.

The daily tally has remained below 1,000 for ten days in a row, and fell below 500 for the first time since February 1, when 393 new cases were reported.

Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide says he will continue to negotiate with Russia, based on the agreements that have been reached to date, to settle the territorial issue of four Russian-held islands claimed by Japan.

Suga sent a video message on Sunday to an annual national rally to demand the return of the four islands. Suga said it is regrettable that the issue has not been settled and a peace treaty with Russia has not been concluded 75 years after World War Two ended.