Consumer prices in Tokyo have been rising this month at their fastest pace in four decades. City residents were hit especially hard by soaring costs for food, electricity and gas.

The internal affairs ministry says the consumer price index for November rose 3.6 percent from a year ago in the capital's 23 wards. That was the highest figure since April 1982.

Japanese authorities reported more than 3,200 cases on Thursday... the most ever. More than 191,000 people have now tested positive in the country. Over 2,800 people have died.

A record 822 cases were reported in Tokyo on Thursday.

Heavy snowfall on Thursday stranded more than 1,000 vehicles on a Japanese expressway.

The line of cars and trucks on this highway connecting Tokyo to Niigata stretched for a full fifteen kilometers. Many had no access to food or water for hours.

Japanese authorities have reported more than 3,200 coronavirus cases so far on Thursday... the most ever.

More than 191,000 people have now tested positive in the country. Around 2,800 people have died.

Japanese officials are looking at how to respond to the coronavirus, which is now rapidly spreading through parts of the country. Officials confirmed more than 2,400 infections on Friday -- the highest daily tally ever.

Five prefectures, including Osaka, also broke records, prompting governors to raise the alarm. Many are pointing to the risk of eating out. Officials in the western prefecture are asking residents to eat in smaller groups and for shorter periods of time.

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.

Torrential rain has pummeled parts of Japan, with more downpours feared across the country.

The Meteorological Agency says atmospheric conditions remain unstable nationwide due to a front over Japan and a low pressure system to the country's south.

Temperatures rose above 35 degrees Celsius in central Tokyo for the first time this summer as a sweltering heat wave continues in Japan.

The Meteorological Agency says a high-pressure system covering vast areas from western through northeastern Japan brought clear skies and high temperatures.

Japan has hit a record high in daily coronavirus infections for a third day in a row. Officials say more than 1,500 cases were confirmed on Friday.

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo said, "We are closely watching the situation with a sense of high alert. We are prioritizing testing. We will conduct tests extensively to detect and isolate virus carriers."

In US Major League Baseball, Japanese two-way player Ohtani Shohei of the Los Angeles Angels has hit his first homerun of the season.

Ohtani batted cleanup as a designated hitter in a game against the Seattle Mariners at the Angels' home stadium in Anaheim, California, on Wednesday.

Japanese weather officials say heavy rain has been intermittently pounding the greater Tokyo area and the country's central region of Tokai.

Meteorological Agency officials say rainclouds have developed over those regions due to warm and damp air flowing toward the seasonal rain front over Japan.

US Major League Baseball has gotten underway after a delayed start with a number of Japanese players taking part in their debut game on Friday.

Slugger Tsutsugo Yoshitomo of the Tampa Bay Rays belted a two-run homer in the fifth inning in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The number of coronavirus deaths has reached 1,000 in Japan. The figure includes 13 deaths from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, that docked just outside Tokyo earlier this year.

Authorities confirmed the latest fatality on Monday. The number of infections now stands at over 26,000, including more than 700 cases from the cruise ship.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency says its analysis of data collected by a weather satellite shows downpours that devastated a wide area in western Japan in early July were the heaviest in 20 years.

The agency's analysis shows the rainfall during the first 7 days of July in Kyushu and some parts of Chugoku and Shikoku hit a 20-year high for this time of the year.