Japan's tourism minister revealed on Friday that the government will continue with its nationwide travel discount campaign next year.
The campaign started in October to help the tourism industry, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
An expert panel advising Japan's health ministry says the spread of the coronavirus continues nationwide.
The panel said on Tuesday that the northern island of Hokkaido has seen a clear reduction in new cases, but that is not the case anywhere else in the country.
Japanese health ministry panel members say they are still not confident enough to approve the influenza drug Avigan to treat COVID-19 patients.
Members of the panel met behind closed doors on Monday to discuss the efficacy and safety of the drug developed by Fujifilm Toyama Chemical.
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.
The search continues for one Vietnamese and two Japanese who have been missing since a mudslide hit Miyazaki Prefecture, southern Japan, two weeks ago.
The mudslide, which likely occurred on the night of September 6, swept away the office of a construction firm in Shiiba Village and the home of the firm's owner.
Japan's latest trade data shows the country's exports and imports continued to fall last month as the coronavirus pandemic weighed on economic activity.
Exports slid nearly 15 percent in August from a year earlier, while imports tumbled about 21 percent.
Temperatures neared 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of Japan on Monday as a heat wave continues to grip the country.
At 10 minutes past noon, the mercury rose to 41.1 degrees in the central Japanese city of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. The figure equals the national record set in Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture, in July 2018.
Japanese authorities have confirmed that 1,232 new coronavirus cases were reported across the country on Saturday.
The total number of cases in Japan now stands at 55,905. That includes those found during airport quarantine checks, as well as 712 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked near Tokyo this year.
Japanese weather officials are forecasting temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius for some parts of the country. They are urging people to be on the alert for heat stroke.
The Meteorological Agency says sweltering weather continued in many parts of Japan on Monday. A daytime high of 38.6 degrees, which was the highest of the season, was recorded in the city of Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture.
Japanese two-way player of the Los Angeles Angels Ohtani Shohei says he will work hard to return to the mound next season.
Ohtani has been diagnosed with a muscle injury near his right elbow after he pitched partway in a game against the Houston Astros on Sunday.
The Meteorological Agency says heavy rainfall will likely hit the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan and Niigata Prefecture through Wednesday morning.
Weather officials are warning of possible mudslides and flooding in the areas. They say the level of rainfall may require officials to issue emergency warnings, and urge residents to make preparations.
Coronavirus infections are continuing to increase in Japan. There were more than 700 new cases on Friday, including 260 in Tokyo.
It's the fourth straight day that the figure has topped 200, and the 16th consecutive day with cases in the triple digits.
In southwestern Japan, emergency crews are searching for survivors and assessing the damage after days of torrential rain. The extreme weather has left dozens of people dead on the island of Kyushu. Weather officials are asking people to remain on alert for landslides and rivers bursting their banks.
In Oita Prefecture, a major river overflowed in the city of Hita. Rescuers are searching for a woman in her 70s after her home was washed away. Authorities say more flooding is expected in several cities along the river.
The family of Yokota Shigeru, who died last week without seeing his daughter after her abduction by North Korea, has vowed to carry on efforts to bring her home.
Yokota's daughter Megumi was abducted in 1977 on her way home from junior high school.