Japan has moved to relax restrictions on drone flights. Owners are now allowed to operate drones beyond their line of sight in populated areas if they meet certain requirements.

The revised civil aeronautics law came into effect on Monday. It allows drones to carry out so-called level four flights, the least restricted category in Japan.

Otsu City in the western Japanese prefecture of Shiga has conducted a seaplane test flight over scenic Lake Biwa, aiming to revive such flights for the first time in nearly half a century.

Scenic seaplane flights over the country's largest lake had been in operation until 1972. Otsu City wants to attract tourists by reviving the flights. At the city's request, a seaplane operated by a company in Hiroshima Prefecture made three test flights on Tuesday.

Flights and train services in southwestern Japan have been cancelled as Typhoon Haishen approaches the area.

Airline companies have canceled 496 flights for Sunday, mostly to and from the southern parts of Kyushu and Okinawa. They include 135 flights of All Nippon Airways and another 135 of Japan Airlines.

Japanese airlines have cancelled 579 domestic flights scheduled for Monday due to Typhoon Haishen.

Most of the flights were to depart from or arrive at airports in the Kyushu, Shikoku and Chugoku regions of western Japan.

Japanese airline companies say 557 domestic flights, were canceled on Sunday due to the approach of Typhoon Haishen. Most of the flights were scheduled to depart from or arrive at airports in Okinawa or southern Kyushu.

As of 5 p.m. on Sunday, another 555 flights scheduled for Monday had also been canceled. Most of these were to depart from or arrive at airports in the Kyushu, Shikoku or the Chugoku regions of western Japan.

An airport in central Japan has partially resumed international flights following a suspension of more than two months due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Philippine Airlines restarted service between the Chubu international airport in Aichi Prefecture and Manila on Wednesday.

Narita Airport near Tokyo has seen a drastic drop in the number of international flights due to the coronavirus pandemic. Airport officials say weekly flights are down nearly 85 percent year-on-year.

They say Narita had 3661 international arrivals and departures during the week ending January 25,which overlapped with the Lunar New Year holiday. The figure was the largest this year except for the new year holiday period.

Major airlines in Japan say they will consider suspending or cutting more international flights as the foreign ministry raised its travel alert for the entire world on Wednesday, urging Japanese people to refrain from non-essential overseas trips.

Japanese airlines have already suspended or reduced flights on a wide range of international routes, including China, South Korea, Europe and the United States, amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Japan's transport minister says about half of the flights from China and South Korea will be affected by the government's request to be diverted to Narita or Kansai airports.

All passenger planes from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and South Korea will only be allowed to land at Narita near Tokyo and Kansai near Osaka. The Japanese government is tightening controls on inbound travelers to curb the number of coronavirus infections.

Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways will slash domestic flights from Friday due to a drop in travel demand amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus.

The two Japanese airlines will for the first time curtail domestic services in the face of an increase in new infections.

Japan's transport ministry says it has finished test flights above central Tokyo on new routes to the capital's Haneda Airport.

The new flight paths are due to open on March 29 to increase international slots at Haneda ahead of this year's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has hinted that the government may shoulder the costs of chartered flights to bring back Japanese nationals from Wuhan. The Chinese city is at the center of the new coronavirus outbreak.

Abe made the suggestion at a Lower House budget committee meeting on Friday.