National
Japan, U.S. fly fighters after China drill, North Korean missiles
Japanese and U.S. forces have conducted a joint fighter jet flight over the Sea of Japan, Japan's military said Thursday, in an apparent response to a Russia-China joint bomber flight while U.S. President Joe Biden was in Tokyo. The Japan-U.S. joint flight on Wednesday involved eight warplanes based in Japan,… Read
2nd attempt to salvage sunken Hokkaido tourist boat begins
The second attempt to salvage a tourist boat that last month sank off Hokkaido, leaving 14 people dead and 12 missing, began Thursday, after the vessel fell back to the seabed earlier this week, delaying the investigation into the cause of the tragedy. Nippon Salvage Co, hired by the Japan… Read
Tokyo reports 3,391 new coronavirus cases; nationwide tally 31,008
The Tokyo metropolitan government on Thursday reported 3,391 new coronavirus cases, down 538 from Wednesday and down 781 from last Thursday. The number of infected people hospitalized with severe symptoms in Tokyo is three, down one from Wednesday, health officials said. The nationwide figure is 95, down eight from Wednesday. Nationwide,… Read
Japan starts 4th COVID vaccine shots for seniors, at-risk groups
Japan began offering fourth coronavirus vaccine shots Wednesday to older people, and those with underlying medical conditions. People eligible for fourth inoculations are those aged 60 and older as well as individuals between 18 and 59 with chronic health conditions, such as respiratory illnesses or heart conditions, or at high… Read
Gov't preparing to resume foreign tourist entry in June
The Japanese government is making final arrangements to resume accepting foreign tourists in June, further relaxing its border controls imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, sources close to the matter said Wednesday. Since March, Japan has been easing its COVID-19 border controls, planning to double the cap on overseas arrivals… Read
2 Japanese die in Shanghai during COVID lockdown; causes unknown
Two Japanese living in Shanghai died during the lockdown of the Chinese city that began in late March amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the Japanese government said Wednesday, but the causes are unknown. It is the first confirmation of Japanese deaths there since Shanghai, China's commercial and financial hub with a… Read
Up to 6,100 in Tokyo predicted to die in worst-case quake scenario
Up to around 6,100 people would die in the event a major earthquake hits the heart of Tokyo, the metropolitan government said in a report Wednesday, revising down the estimate by around 30 percent from a decade ago. The report by the metropolitan government's panel of earthquake experts attributes the… Read
Tokyo reports 3,929 new coronavirus cases; nationwide tally 35,190
The Tokyo metropolitan government on Wednesday reported 3,929 new coronavirus cases, up 658 from Tuesday and down 426 from last Wednesday. The number of infected people hospitalized with severe symptoms in Tokyo is four, unchanged from Tuesday, health officials said. The nationwide figure is 103, up three from Tuesday. Nationwide, the… Read
7 from U.S. arrive in Japan for 1st test tour before tourism reopening
Seven people from the United States arrived in Japan Tuesday as part of the first small-scale test tours in the government's planned gradual reopening to inbound tourists from June. The seven -- six from Hawaii and another from Los Angeles -- landed at Narita airport outside Tokyo and will participate… Read
Japan tops world tourism ranking despite COVID restrictions
Japan on Tuesday came out ranking highest on a list of destinations in a 2021 travel and tourism development report by the World Economic Forum, despite the country being closed to foreign tourists due to restrictions against the coronavirus. Topping the list for the first time, Japan ranked highly for… Read
