In the race to produce the first electric car with a solid-state battery, Toyota is in the lead. The Japanese giant plans to debut its first working prototype in 2021, with a production car going on sale sometime in the early 2020s according to a new report in the Nikkei.

The technology would usher in a new era of EVs, as solid-state batteries are more compact, charge faster, safer and possess more energy density than the traditional lithium-ion batteries that are in current widespread use. They use a solid electrolyte rather than a liquid or gel polymer electrolytes found in in Li-ion units. That means they require less physical space to produce the same amount of energy, and are less prone to fire when damaged.

Japan's Supreme Court has ordered the government to pay more than 22 million dollars in compensation to former construction workers who developed lung diseases caused by asbestos.

The ruling is the first holding the government responsible in lawsuits filed by former construction workers and bereaved families. The plaintiffs say former workers developed lung cancer and other illnesses after inhaling asbestos at construction sites. They have demanded that the state and manufacturers of the material pay damages.

The Japanese government has dispatched a special envoy to a war-torn region of Myanmar to help carry out voting that was postponed due to fighting.

Myanmar held a general election on November 8 but the election commission postponed voting at all nine electoral districts in Rakhine State. The government has not said when voting in the region will take place.

The southern Japanese prefecture of Okinawa is set to lift on Saturday a state of emergency put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Governor Tamaki Denny told reporters on Friday that newly confirmed cases have been on the decline since peaking in mid-August. He attributed the decline to efforts by the entire prefecture to prevent infections.

NHK has learned that the southern Japanese prefecture of Okinawa is making final arrangements to extend its state of emergency over the coronavirus for a second time.

The prefecture cites the risk of intergenerational transmission as many relatives are expected to gather to honor the spirits of their ancestors during the Bon season of the lunar calendar that begins on Monday.

Japan's health minister Kato Katsunobu has hinted at the possibility of another nationwide state of emergency if infections of the novel coronavirus surge.

Kato told reporters on Tuesday that he is aware local authorities are taking measures to contain infections. But he said the government could declare another state of emergency if the number of cases rises rapidly despite such efforts.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide says the government has no plans to immediately declare a state of emergency again despite a rise in new cases of the coronavirus in Tokyo.

Suga told reporters on Monday that recent confirmations of new cases at certain levels, mainly in Tokyo, are a result of enhanced testing of those who have come into close contact with infected people.

Japan's government says it may lift the nationwide state of emergency for the coronavirus outbreak before the planned end date of May 31. This would apply to some of the 13 prefectures now under special alert, as well as many other prefectures.

The government plans to discuss the matter at a meeting of its expert panel on Thursday.

Japan's government says it may lift the nationwide state of emergency regarding the coronavirus outbreak before the planned end date of May 31 in many of the 34 prefectures that are not under special alert.

Economic Revitalization Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi said on an NHK program on Sunday the government will consider lifting the emergency declaration after listening to the opinions of an expert panel next week.

Prefectural authorities across Japan are quickly responding after the government extended a nationwide state of emergency for the coronavirus pandemic well past the country's week-long spring holidays.

The state of emergency was initially set to end on Wednesday. But the central government officially announced on Monday it was extending the state of emergency to May 31.

The Japanese government's decision to extend the state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak is putting further pressure on restaurants and other businesses in Japan.

Toyoshima Tadashi, 69, has run a restaurant for over four decades in Chofu City, Tokyo, but decided to close permanently after Prime Minister Abe Shinzo announced the decision at a news conference on Monday.

The Japanese government has decided to extend a nationwide state of emergency until the end of this month. It was originally set to expire on Wednesday.

Members of a special taskforce met at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday.

Japan has decided to extend the nationwide state of emergency until the end of May. It was originally set to expire on Wednesday.

The government's coronavirus task force made the decision on Monday.

Japan is set to extend its nationwide state of emergency for the coronavirus pandemic by nearly a month until the end of May. It was originally set to expire on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo met his ministers in charge of the crisis and health issues on Sunday.