National
Vaccine minister Kono warns against wasting COVID-19 doses
Japan's COVID-19 vaccine minister on Tuesday warned local governments against letting doses go to waste as the country expands its inoculation campaign to the elderly. The warning from Taro Kono came as he disclosed that up to five doses of Pfizer Inc's vaccine were discarded Monday due to last-minute cancellations.… Read
Gov't decides to release water from Fukushima nuclear plant into sea in 2023
The Japanese government decided Tuesday to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, having determined it poses no safety concerns despite opposition from local fishermen and neighboring countries. The decision ends years of discussions on how to dispose of water accumulating… Read
Princess Mako's boyfriend to settle financial dispute with mom's ex-fiance
The boyfriend of Princess Mako, the niece of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, intends to pay money to his mother's former fiance in an effort to settle a long-standing money dispute, his lawyer said Monday. The move comes after Kei Komuro expressed his resolve to marry the princess in a statement released… Read
Southwestern Japan island hit by barrage of quakes
A small island of Japan's southwestern Kagoshima Prefecture has been hit by frequent earthquakes since late last week, with the weather agency warning of further temblors in coming days. Most recently, a quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.2 jolted Akuseki Island at 11:01 p.m. on Monday, registering 4 on… Read
Japan trails world in COVID vaccine rollout 2 months after its start
Japan's coronavirus inoculation campaign has been progressing slowly, with over 99 percent of the population yet to receive a shot about two months after its start, trailing many developed nations. Japan, which currently completely depends on imports for its coronavirus vaccine supply, began inoculating about 36 million seniors aged 65… Read
Tokyo, Kyoto, Okinawa step up anti-virus measures
The governors of Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa enhanced their responses to the coronavirus pandemic Monday amid a resurgence of infections, less than a month after Japan fully lifted a second COVID-19 state of emergency. The prevention measures under what is regarded as a quasi-state of emergency include asking restaurants and… Read
Tokyo reports 306 coronavirus cases; nationwide tally 2,102
The Tokyo metropolitan government on Monday reported 306 new cases of the coronavirus, down 115 from Sunday. The number (181 men and 125 women) is the result of 5,625 tests conducted on April 9. By age group, people in their 20s (88 cases) and their 30s (57) accounted for the highest… Read
Japan starts COVID-19 vaccinations for elderly
Japan started vaccinating elderly people against the novel coronavirus Monday, the second group to be inoculated following health care workers, as concern over a "fourth wave" of the pandemic grew. The government is planning to secure enough shots of the vaccine, developed by U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc, for roughly… Read
Hyogo Prefecture to give 320,000 fans to restaurants for customers to cover mouths, dine 'safely'
The coronavirus pandemic has had a negative effect on many businesses, especially restaurants, since gathering in groups in tight quarters is exactly what we want to not be doing at the moment. Some Japanese restaurants like Saizeriya have gotten creative and created special masks that allow customers to also eat, but their efficacy is debatable.… Read
Japanese hospital worker infected with coronavirus after 2 vaccine shots
A hospital worker in central Japan who has received two vaccine shots was confirmed Sunday as infected with the novel coronavirus, as the country reported 2,777 daily cases with Tokyo and Osaka Prefecture continuing to see a rebound in infections. Local authorities said the temporary staffer at a hospital in… Read
