Meiji Jingu, a major Shinto shrine in central Tokyo, has decided to close its gates during New Year's Eve to prevent spread of the new coronavirus.
The shrine attracts about 3 million visitors during the first three days of January every year. Usually, its three gates are open all night on New Year's Eve to allow worshippers to enter.
Construction work for Japan's high-speed maglev train line is facing another hurdle, as farmers have launched a legal battle to block the project.
A total of 107 people, including tea farmers in the central prefecture of Shizuoka, filed a lawsuit with a District Court on Friday. They say that the construction of a tunnel could have a grave impact on their livelihood as it may reduce the flow of river water.
A group of experts says Tokyo could prevent an explosive spread of the new coronavirus by reducing person-to-person contact by 80 percent. The group advises authorities to immediately take appropriate measures.
The projection was conducted by a group that includes Professor Nishiura Hiroshi of Hokkaido University, a member of a government taskforce on cluster infections.
Toyota has announced a recall for select 2020 Toyota Highlanders. On models with a 3.5.-liter V6 engine, the Engine Control Unit (ECU) might have an error that could cut off the fuel supply during start-stop. The recall, which affects up to 38,810 vehicles, is expected to start April 24, 2020.
Toyota filed an official Defect Information Report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on March 19, 2020, declaring an issue with the ECU on certain 2020 Highlanders. These Highlanders have a start-stop feature that shuts the engine down and restarts it while a vehicle is temporarily stopped. Due to a programming error in the ECU, the fuel system might malfunction during start-stop, and the gas might not make it to engine.