Japan plans to start the wide distribution of a domestically developed oral COVID-19 drug, Xocova, from next Monday, earlier than initially planned.

The Japanese government approved emergency authorization of Xocova on Tuesday. The first Japanese COVID-19 drug is made by pharmaceutical firm Shionogi. Xocova can be used to treat even mild symptoms.

A lingering seasonal rain front may bring torrential downpours in western and eastern Japan through Friday.

Japan's Meteorological Agency says warm, damp air is flowing toward the seasonal rain front, destabilizing atmospheric conditions and causing rain clouds to develop in Shikoku, Kinki and elsewhere.

Japanese weather officials say heavy rain and thunderstorms will hit some parts of Japan's Pacific Coast through Saturday, raising the risk of mudslides.

The Meteorological Agency says warm and humid air has flown into the front and the low-pressure system, creating an unstable atmospheric condition mostly in western Japan.

Japanese weather officials are warning of possible landslides and flooding in wide areas from Kyushu to the Kanto region as torrential rain is forecast through Sunday morning.

In one hour through 5 a.m., 40 millimeters of rain fell on Makurazaki City in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu.

Japanese weather officials are warning of localized heavy rains in wide areas of western to northeastern Japan by Monday morning.

The meteorological agency says warm, damp air is flowing from the west into a front, causing atmospheric conditions to become unstable over most of the country.

A low pressure system and a cold air mass brought snow to wide areas of the Kanto and Koshin regions in Japan on Sunday.

The snow is accumulating even on the plains of southern Kanto, including central Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture.