Japan's government will urge seniors and people with underlying health issues not to use its domestic tourism campaign to travel to and from Tokyo. The decision is in line with a request from the capital where coronavirus cases are surging.

Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko agreed on Tuesday that they will ask people aged 65 and older and those with existing health conditions to refrain from making such trips.

Sightseeing spots across Japan have been welcoming visitors on the first Sunday since the government declared the next three weeks as crucial to curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

Popular tourist attractions in Tokyo were mainly visited by local residents who had decided against long-distance travel.

Japan was blanketed by sweltering heat on Sunday. Temperatures in many areas rose above 35 degrees Celsius, putting people's health at risk.

It was the hottest day of the year so far in many places. In central Tokyo, the daytime high was just under 35 degrees.

NHK has learned that a risk simulation using artificial intelligence found that contact tracing is the key to controlling the spread of coronavirus brought by tourists.

Japan's government-sponsored "Go To Travel" campaign, aimed at boosting domestic tourism with offers of subsidies and discounts, begins on Wednesday. Tours to and from Tokyo are excluded from the campaign.

Heavy rains in the northern part of Japan's Kyushu island are threatening the territory with landslides and flooding.

The Meteorological Agency says warm, damp air is flowing towards a seasonal rain front hovering around the Japanese archipelago, destabilizing atmospheric conditions. Rain clouds are developing in northern Kyushu and the Chugoku region.

Temperatures soared on Tuesday across wide areas in Japan. The country is no stranger to blazing summers, but the need to wear facemasks due to the coronavirus poses a health risk all of its own -- heatstroke.

A high-pressure system pushed temperatures up. The mercury topped 35 degrees Celsius in a part of Fukuoka Prefecture in the southwest, and some other areas.

Businesses in Japan are adjusting to a new reality as they face the fears and risks created by the coronavirus outbreak.

Gym operator Central Sports says almost all of its 240 outlets will be closed until March 10. Other gym companies have taken similar measures.

The health emergency is affecting preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Organizers have held a test event without athletes or spectators.

An expert says the coronavirus poses a significant risk to some physically challenged athletes.

Honda has announced a new recall on more than 200,000 Odyssey minivans, model years 2018 through 2020.  Due to a safety defect, a wiring harness could potentially be pinched, which could create a short circuit and therefore a fire risk.

Honda first learned of a reported fire back in August 2018, but no information was provided to the company for further investigation. After a second fire in April 2019, however, Honda repurchased the involved minivan to examine it. In total, three fires were reported, and after months of internal testing and investigation, Honda identified the defect in January 2020. 

A panel of Japanese experts says that over the next 30 years, many people living along the Nankai Trough face a higher chance of experiencing a deadly tsunami than being injured in a traffic accident.

The government's Earthquake Research Committee gave the assessment in a report on Friday.

Japanese firms operating in China are trying to protect their employees from the newly identified coronavirus that can trigger pneumonia.

The Japan External Trade Organization says, as of October, 156 Japanese firms had bases in or around Wuhan, the city at the center of the outbreak.