The Latest Breaking News from The Japan News/Yomiuri

Japan will continue to face challenges this year, from issues such as the pandemic to foreign affairs and the economy. This is the seventh installment of a series in which authoritative figures in various fields share their thoughts on such topics. The following text was excerpted from remarks by former…

Quasi-emergency priority measures implemented in Hiroshima, Yamaguchi and Okinawa prefectures on Jan. 9 seem to have blunted the spike in novel coronavirus cases, with some experts predicting that the peak may have passed in some areas.

Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said the prefecture would request quasi-emergency priority measures be applied in the prefecture, as the occupancy rate of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients is close to 35%, the benchmark for seeking such measures.

FUKUSHIMA -- Some former residents have begun "preparatory stays" in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, staying overnight for the first time since the 2011 nuclear disaster, as part of preparations to return there permanently.

Tokyo and four nearby prefectures will give restaurants that are certified to have taken proper COVID-19 prevention measures the green light to serve alcoholic beverages while quasi-emergency priority measures are in effect.

Local governments that will be subject to quasi-emergency priority measures designed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus are split over whether to allow eateries to continue serving alcohol when the measures start on Friday in 13 more prefectures, including Tokyo.

The government intends to put off recommending the Sado Gold Mine as a possible UNESCO World Heritage site, on the grounds that opposition from South Korea is likely to jeopardize the site's designation at a 2023 meeting, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

It is reprehensible to continue improperly handling data for statistics and to cover up the wrongful practice so that it is not discovered. The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry needs to take the matter seriously. It must make efforts to clarify its responsibility and take thorough measures to prevent…

"Wealth distribution through pay increases is not a cost, but an investment in the future," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday, expressing his intention to achieve economic growth through efforts to encourage companies to raise pay.

Pregnant women infected with the novel coronavirus have developed moderate to severe symptoms at about twice the rate of nonpregnant women, according to a Japanese research team.

Japanese fashion brand Anrealage's entry for Paris Fashion Week for Spring and Summer 2022, which incorporated aspects from Mamoru Hosoda's latest animated film "Ryu to Sobakasu no Hime" (Belle) made the label a hot topic.