Dozens of Indonesian crewmembers of a cruise ship stricken with the coronavirus have left Japan for their home country after testing negative for the virus.
On Sunday, 44 Indonesians disembarked from the Costa Atlantica now moored at a shipyard in Japan's western prefecture of Nagasaki. They later boarded a plane bound for the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
Officials in Nagasaki Prefecture dealing with a coronavirus outbreak on a cruise ship docked there are working to send crew members who tested negative back to their home countries.
The Italian-registered Costa Atlantica is at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard for repairs. Of the 623 crew members, 148 were confirmed to have the virus as of Saturday.
While the coronavirus pathogen and the COVID-19 illness dominates the news, auto manufacturers are give people fun distractions (that also keep the companies in those people's minds) by offering positive car-related activities. Audi has offered Zoom video conferencing backgrounds, Porsche recently released a documentary, and Aston Martin released downloadable images for coloring. This week, Toyota contributed to quarantine play time with templates for foldable Toyota 86 coupe models with retro liveries.
In total, Toyota released templates for six different-looking 86 models, but they're technically not new. These were originally created for Toyota's 50th anniversary in the United Kingdom and dropped around the time of the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Each livery is a nod to an important vehicle from Toyota's past, and Toyota actually created real cars with the same looks using vinyl wraps.
Two cities in Toyama Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast have reopened their public elementary and junior high schools after being closed for two weeks to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
Classes resumed on Monday in the cities of Toyama and Kurobe.
The operator of Japan's Tokaido Shinkansen line says it will reduce the number of its trains in late March due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Central Japan Railway Company had planned to operate extra Nozomi bullet trains from March 19 through 31, when the number of passengers usually increases due to spring holidays.
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.
Japan's government plans to have passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship who were in close contact with those infected by the new coronavirus stay in facilities it has prepared to monitor their health.
Health minister Katsunobu Kato made the announcement on Friday. The ministry had previously planned to have such passengers remain on the ship.
Mazda announced Tuesday that it will recall more than 35,000 examples of the 2016 CX-5 crossover to address an issue that may lead to deterioration or failure of its LED daytime running lights.
In affected models, the gasket used to seal the wiring harness to the LED module was not manufactured to Mazda's specification. As it degrades over time, it can release sulfur, which in turn can potentially corrode the LED control circuit, causing the LEDs themselves to flicker, illuminate poorly or even fail outright.
ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi -- Here kitty, kitty! Visitors to Tashirojima Island here will have no trouble finding the fluffy winter coats of the feline inhabitants.
Often called "cat island," Tashirojima, whose perimeter is 11 kilometers, is home to some 200 cats who live alongside human residents, and are no stranger to tourists from both inside and outside of Japan. On a day in mid-December last year, this cat-loving reporter made a visit to the island and its furry citizens.