A US presidential spokesperson has reiterated Washington's understanding of the Japanese government's position prioritizing public health in hosting the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke at a White House news conference on Wednesday.
The Tokyo Olympic torch relay is winding its way through Japan and is now in the southwestern prefecture of Miyazaki.
The current leg of the relay started from the ancient shrine of Takachiho. 12 cities and towns in the prefecture are along the route.
Security personnel for the Tokyo Olympics have started work, with less than three months remaining before the event's scheduled opening on July 23.
About 40 people, including private guards from a joint venture of security firms, joined a starting ceremony on Saturday at the National Stadium. A manager encouraged them to do their best to ensure the event's safety.
Seven test events for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be held in the capital without spectators during a state of emergency that starts Sunday and runs until May 11.
The declaration, announced by the government on Friday due to a surge in coronavirus cases, also takes effect in three western prefectures.
The third state of emergency declared in Japan since the start of the coronavirus pandemic includes Tokyo, where officials are aiming to stem outbreak as the clock ticks down to the Olympics and Paralympics, now just under three months away.
The declaration, which was announced Friday, takes effect on Sunday. The metropolitan government will implement a series of stricter, more intensive measures.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials are facing the challenge of building momentum for this summer's Olympics amid the spread of coronavirus infections, with just three months to go before the Games open.
The number of infections with virus variants has been surging in Tokyo, with the central government expected to declare a state of emergency in the capital for the third time.
The Saitama Seibu Lions baseball team offered fans free coronavirus antibody tests before a game on Sunday.
A medical IT venture firm, Allm, provided the tests for the game against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at Seibu's home ground, the MetLife Dome.
NHK has learned that a water polo test event for the Olympics scheduled to open on Saturday in Tokyo will be canceled.
Officials say relevant personnel are unable to travel to Japan for the event due to anti-coronavirus measures.
Preparations are underway to hold test events for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics Games starting next month, and five of the events are likely to include international athletes.
The purpose of the test events is to identify any problems by putting on events in the same venues where the Olympic Games will be held.
Takanashi Sara has set the all-time record for podium finishes in World Cup ski jumping.
The Japanese star finished second in an event in Russia on Friday. She landed a pair of solid jumps, both 94.5 meters. Austria's Marita Kramer came first.
Japan's professional baseball teams started their regular season on Friday, with some anti-coronavirus measures in place and many foreign players absent.
The 12 teams of two leagues will return to a normal 143-game schedule this season, including 18 interleague games. Last season the number of games for each team was limited to 120 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Olympic flame has begun its journey across Japan, after a year-long delay caused by the global pandemic.
This relay will be unlike any before it, traveling through all 47 prefectures, but under tight anti-coronavirus measures.
The Olympic torch started its journey across Japan on Thursday morning after a yearlong delay. That's because the Tokyo 2020 Games were postponed due to the global pandemic.
The torch relay will travel through all 47 prefectures and be carried out under tight anti-coronavirus measures.
The Olympic torch started its journey across Japan on Thursday, one year after the Tokyo 2020 Games were postponed due to the coronavirus.
The torch relay will travel through all 47 prefectures and be carried out under tight anti-coronavirus measures.