Sdf Space Unit Training Program Disclosed

SDF space unit training program disclosed

A Japanese defense unit specializing in outer space disclosed on Wednesday contents of its training. The unit will become fully operational in fiscal 2023.

The Space Operations Squadron was launched in May to protect Japanese satellites from foreign attack and space debris. The Self-Defense Forces rely on satellites for reconnaissance and communication.

Read more...

Tokyo Confirms Record 678 New Cases

Tokyo confirms record 678 new cases

Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials confirmed 678 new cases of coronavirus infection in the capital on Wednesday.

The figure is a record high single-day tally, surpassing the 621 reported last Saturday.

Read more...

Tokyo's New Covid - 19 Hospital Opens

Tokyo's new COVID-19 hospital opens

A new medical facility designed to exclusively treat COVID-19 patients with mild or moderate symptoms opened in Tokyo on Wednesday.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government renovated a former healthcare facility in Fuchu City. It is the first facility run by the metropolitan government that is designed to care exclusively for coronavirus patients who need to be hospitalized.

Read more...

More Snow Forecast For Sea Of Japan Coast

More snow forecast for Sea of Japan coast

The season's most powerful cold air mass over Japan is bringing heavy snow to areas on the Sea of Japan coast from Hokkaido in the north and to the Chugoku region in the southwest. Weather officials are calling for caution against avalanches, icy roads, and traffic disruptions.

Snowfall in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning was 128 centimeters in Minakami Town in Gunma Prefecture, and 113 centimeters in Yuzawa Town in Niigata Prefecture -- both the heaviest 24-hour snowfalls on record.

Read more...

Bus Service For Arrivals From Abroad Gets Underway

Bus service for arrivals from abroad gets underway

A bus service has been launched to transport international travelers from Haneda and Narita airports directly to hotels in Tokyo, as part of an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The Airport Transport Service started offering the direct bus routes on Wednesday. It is providing three trips a day from the airports to 12 hotels in Tokyo. Travelers who will stay at the hotels are eligible to use the service. Advance booking is required. Fares cost about 39 dollars from Narita and about 14 dollars from Haneda.

Read more...

Mitsubishi Aircraft To Slash 95% Of Workforce

Mitsubishi Aircraft to slash 95% of workforce

Japan's Mitsubishi Aircraft plans to slash staff as work to develop the country's first domestically-produced passenger jet grinds to a halt.

Sources say the company will cut its workforce by about 95 percent year-on-year from next April, to a bare minimum of roughly 150.

Read more...

Japan's Mitsubishi Aircraft To Slash Workforce

Japan's Mitsubishi Aircraft to slash workforce

Japan's Mitsubishi Aircraft plans to slash staff as work to develop the country's first domestically-produced passenger jet grinds to a halt.

Sources say the company will cut its workforce by about 95 percent year-on-year from next April, to a bare minimum of roughly 150.

Read more...

Japan, Uzbekistan Pledge To Strengthen Ties

Japan, Uzbekistan pledge to strengthen ties

Japan and Uzbekistan have agreed to work closely together to promote the open and stable development of Central Asia.

Japan's Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Uzbekistan's Deputy Prime Minister Sardor Umurzakov met for about an hour in Tokyo on Tuesday to discuss ways to strengthen relations.

Read more...

Tokyo Games' Public Viewing To Be Scaled Back

Tokyo Games' public viewing to be scaled back

Public viewing events for next year's Olympics and Paralympics will be scaled back to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to strengthen disinfection and other health measures at venues where people can view sports and experience the Tokyo Games.

Read more...

Japan Tourism Industry Hit By Campaign Suspension

Japan tourism industry hit by campaign suspension

Japan's latest efforts to block the spread of the coronavirus are not going down well with the tourism industry. With cases on the rise, the government opted to temporarily halt a travel subsidy program nationwide for a period of two weeks around the New Year holiday.

The announcement caught many would-be tourists off guard. An online booking company says it's been caught in a deluge of inquiries -- with most deciding to cancel their trips outright.

Read more...

Jaxa: Hayabusa2 Mission Complete Success

JAXA: Hayabusa2 mission complete success

Scientists at Japan's space agency say the Hayabusa2 probe has achieved perfect success in its mission, the goal of which was to bring back samples from a distant asteroid.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, held an online news conference on Tuesday.

Read more...

Man Who Killed 9 Sentenced To Death

Man who killed 9 sentenced to death

A Japanese court has sentenced a 30-year-old man to death for killing nine people at his apartment.

The remains of eight women and one man, aged 15 to 26, were found at an apartment in the city of Zama in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, in October 2017.

Read more...

Foreign Media Report Death Sentencing

Foreign media report death sentencing

Foreign media outlets such as the BBC and the Washington Post have reported on the sentencing of the man who killed nine people at his apartment near Tokyo.

The BBC reported that the "Twitter killer" has been sentenced to death.

Read more...