Tokyo police have arrested the former chairman of a failed health equipment dealer on suspicion of fraudulent business practices. The company allegedly solicited clients by showing them an invitation to a state-funded party that bore the name of then Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.

Police suspect Yamaguchi Takayoshi, the 78-year-old former chairman of Japan Life, and 13 others associated with the company of fraud and other infractions.

Japan's new prime minister Suga Yoshihide has spent his first full day in the country's top job. He and his newly minted ministers wasted no time getting down to business.

Suga said, "My cabinet is ready to serve the people. We will try to deliver tangible results and live up to their expectations."

Developers have released the details of a major construction project that's underway in central Tokyo.

It includes a 390-meter skyscraper that will be the tallest building in Japan.

Work to extend the operational life of two aging nuclear reactors in Japan is expected to be completed on Friday.

The No. 3 reactor at the Mihama nuclear power plant turns 44 years old in December, and the No. 1 reactor at the Takahama plant will be 46 years old in November. Both are in Fukui Prefecture and run by Kansai Electric Power Company, or KEPCO.

One day after Suga Yoshihide became Japan's Prime Minister, he and his cabinet members got down to business.

Suga said, "I am determined to work hard for the Japanese people and will try to live up to their expectations."

Tokyo has kept its coronavirus alert at the second highest level on a four-point scale, and warned that the capital is facing the risk of a rapid increase in new cases.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government made the decision on Thursday at a meeting with public health and infectious disease experts to assess the situation.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 171 new coronavirus cases on Thursday.

The preliminary figure, reported early in the afternoon, brings the total number of confirmed infections in the capital to 23,608.

NHK has learned that a study of pregnant women infected with the coronavirus shows they face a higher risk of developing serious symptoms in the later stages of pregnancy.

The Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists conducted a survey of about 2,200 maternal clinics and hospitals nationwide.

Japan's new Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide says his cabinet is in full swing and ready to get down to business on its first full day in office.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday morning, Suga said, "I am determined to work hard for the Japanese people and will try to live up to their expectations."

Japan's new minister in charge of telecommunications has expressed eagerness to spur competition among mobile phone companies to lower fees.

Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Takeda Ryota spoke to reporters on Thursday, his first day in his new office.

Japan's new health and welfare minister Tamura Norihisa has stressed that fighting the coronavirus will be his top priority.

Tamura, who previously held the same post, met with reporters on Thursday and said he will work with responsibility because his ministry is closely attached to people's lives.

Japan's new Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide has announced a new Cabinet and pledged to address priorities including regulatory reform, and push forward with policies of the former government.

Suga selected the Cabinet members after he was chosen as Japan's 99th prime minister in the Diet on Wednesday.

Japan's new Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide is starting his first full day in office. He says his cabinet is ready to get down to business.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday morning, Suga said, "I am determined to work hard for the Japanese people and will try to live up to their expectations."

Japan's new prime minister says he will prioritize measures against the coronavirus and its economic fallout. Suga Yoshihide is taking over from Abe Shinzo, a close ally who was Japan's longest-serving prime minister.

Suga said, "We can never afford to have a political vacuum when our country is facing a grave challenge. To overcome the current crisis and give the public peace of mind again, we need to push forward with the efforts the Abe government had been making. That is my mission."