Heavy snowfall on Thursday stranded more than 1,000 vehicles on a Japanese expressway.

The line of cars and trucks on this highway connecting Tokyo to Niigata stretched for a full fifteen kilometers. Many had no access to food or water for hours.

Japanese authorities have reported more than 3,200 coronavirus cases so far on Thursday... the most ever.

More than 191,000 people have now tested positive in the country. Around 2,800 people have died.

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.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed a record 822 new cases of the coronavirus in the Japanese capital on Thursday.

The figure surpasses the previous record of 678 new infections reported on Wednesday.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has raised its healthcare alert to the highest level for the first time as coronavirus infections continue to spread.

Tokyo's advisory panel of infectious disease and public health experts said at a meeting on Thursday that the healthcare system is on the verge of a crisis.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police have sent papers to prosecutors on a man in his 20s for the alleged online slander of professional wrestler and reality show star Kimura Hana, who committed suicide in May.

The 22-year-old Kimura was a cast member on the Japanese reality show "Terrace House" broadcast by Fuji Television.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has raised its healthcare system alert to the highest level as the number of cases continues to surge.

Tokyo Electric Power Company has opened a facility for employees to learn from the meltdowns at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant caused by the quake and tsunami in 2011.

The meltdowns at three of the reactors at the plant in northeastern Japan forced many residents to flee their homes and evacuate.

Japan and the United States have decided to put off seeking a conclusion on Japan's share of the cost of stationing US forces in the country before the end of the year.

The two sides began working-level talks on the matter last month as the current arrangement, which is agreed upon every five years, is set to expire in March.

In Japan, coronavirus cases continue to climb --- at the end of a three-week period dubbed "crucial" to containment efforts.

Officials say the national tally for Wednesday is around 3,000 --- making it the second worst day on record.

Japanese prosecutors have indicted a 42-year-old man over an arson attack at an animation studio in Kyoto.

The fire at the Kyoto Animation studio in July last year killed 36 people and injured 32.

A broad swath of Japan is digging itself out from a massive snowfall. Weather officials are warning of slippery roads - and even avalanches - for areas stretching from Hokkaido down to western Japan.

Residents of a community north of Tokyo spent the morning clearing away a blanket of fresh snow. A record 128 centimeters of the white stuff fell over Minakami Town in a single day.

Japan's Supreme Court has ordered the government to pay more than 22 million dollars in compensation to former construction workers who developed lung diseases caused by asbestos.

The ruling is the first holding the government responsible in lawsuits filed by former construction workers and bereaved families. The plaintiffs say former workers developed lung cancer and other illnesses after inhaling asbestos at construction sites. They have demanded that the state and manufacturers of the material pay damages.

Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide is facing criticism for dining out with more than five people despite the government's call to avoid such gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The opposition criticized Suga for dining at a steak restaurant in Tokyo with ruling Liberal Democratic Party officials Nikai Toshihiro and Hayashi Motoo and other celebrities.