A landmark Ferris wheel in the Japanese city of Yokohama is being lit up with a message calling on people to stay home to help contain the coronavirus outbreak.
The world-class Ferris wheel with a diameter of 110 meters is usually a popular attraction at an amusement park near Tokyo. But it is currently out of service due to the park's closure.
About 120 Russians who had been stuck in Japan amid the spread of the coronavirus have left for their country on a Russian government chartered plane.
The plane arrived at Narita Airport near Tokyo on Sunday and left for the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok in the afternoon, carrying about 120 people.
About 30 Russian nationals stranded at Tokyo's Haneda Airport for the past 10 days are expected to return home on a chartered plane as early as Sunday.
Regular international flights to and from Russia have been suspended since March 27 due to the spread of the coronavirus. About 400 Russians who were visiting Japan on business or for sightseeing remain stranded in the country.
As many countries around the world are under strict lockdowns to quell the spread of the coronavirus, a multitude of professions have been impacted, including ad and marketing agencies that film commercials.
In Japan, more people are being asked to take steps to slow down a surge in coronavirus infections.
People in Tokyo are adjusting to a sudden lifestyle shift as the number of cases there topped 2,000.
Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko has called on residents to refrain from non-essential, non-urgent outings, following the confirmation of 118 new cases of coronavirus infections in the prefecture.
In a comment released on Saturday, Koike added that there is sufficient capacity to treat patients this weekend, and that those with mild or no symptoms will be moved to hotels in accordance with the health ministry's instructions, as she had announced on Friday.
A defendant sentenced to death for killing 19 people with intellectual disabilities at a care home near Tokyo has withdrawn an appeal to a higher court. The sentence is to be finalized after midnight on Monday.
The Yokohama District Court on March 16 handed down the ruling to 30-year-old Uematsu Satoshi for the murders in Sagamihara City four years ago. Uematsu worked at the facility before the murders.
Japan has so far been spared from the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic. But health authorities are afraid that may now be changing.
Tokyo is emerging as the epicenter of the outbreak in the country. The Metropolitan Government is calling on people to stay at home after sunset, to help curb the spread.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to intensify its call for people to stay at home after sunset as part of its efforts to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
Sources familiar with the policy say multiple people are suspected of having contracted the virus while dining at restaurants at night.
The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to continue asking residents to work from home and refrain from nighttime outings on weekdays as much as possible to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The request will remain in place at least until April 12. The Tokyo government has postponed or canceled major events that had been scheduled during this period.
Tokyo's governor is urging residents to stay home this weekend unless they absolutely must go out. The call comes after officials confirmed more than 40 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday ... the largest one-day spike the city has seen so far.
Yuriko Koike told reporters on Wednesday, "We are now at a critical juncture. We want Tokyo residents to realize this and do their work at home as much as possible on weekdays ... though we understand that may not be possible depending on your line of work. We want people to refrain from going out at night. We also want residents to refrain from going out this weekend, unless it is urgent."
A Japanese man who was sentenced to death for fatally stabbing 19 intellectually disabled people says he will abide by the ruling.
The Yokohama District Court on Monday sentenced Satoshi Uematsu to death for the murders at a care home in Sagamihara, near Tokyo, in 2016. Uematsu worked at the facility before the murders.
A Japanese court has sentenced a man to death for fatally stabbing 19 intellectually disabled people at a care home almost four years ago.
Satoshi Uematsu was found guilty of homicide and other charges. He also injured 26 people with knives in the attack that lasted several hours. The 30-year-old targeted residents of the Tsukui Yamayuri-en home in Sagamihara, near Tokyo, in 2016. Uematsu was a former worker at the facility.
A Japanese court has sentenced a man to death for killing 19 people with intellectual disabilities at a care home in Sagamihara City, near Tokyo, in 2016.
The Yokohama District Court issued the verdict on Monday for 30-year-old Satoshi Uematsu, a former worker at the Tsukui Yamayurien home.