Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have sent online messages of encouragement to the elderly in Tokyo and the southwestern prefecture of Oita.

The Emperor and Empress were at the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on Wednesday. They watched a group in Oita Prefecture helping the elderly maintain good health conditions and also monitored senior citizens at a human resources center in Tokyo.

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have made online inspections of Japanese Red Cross Society hospitals dealing with coronavirus patients.

At the Akasaka Palace on Wednesday, they listened to an explanation by the president of the Red Cross Society and others.

China's Ambassador to Japan says Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are expected to hold telephone talks soon to discuss how to jointly respond to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Ambassador Kong Xuanyou made the remarks at the Japan National Press Club on Friday. He said arrangements are being made for telephone talks between Xi and Abe.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is preparing to have a teleconference with the head of the International Olympic Committee. Tokyo plans to ask the IOC to make a decision as quickly as possible on how the Games should be handled amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Abe wants to discuss the matter with IOC President Thomas Bach, while joined by the head of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee and the governor of Tokyo.