Japan

Coronavirus treatment trial using recovered patients’ blood could start in Japan in July

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd could start a clinical trial as early as July for a potential treatment of COVID-19 that is based on antibodies from recovered patients’ blood, company executives…

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5.5 earthquake off the eastern Japan

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 hit off the coast of eastern Japan on Monday but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of…

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Swimming body FINA postpones 2021 World Aquatics Championships to 2022

The FINA World Championships in Fukuoka in Japan was initially scheduled for the summer of 2021 but will now take place from 13 May 2022 to 29 May 2022. FINA…

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Photo Story: Town in Japan uses folklore monsters to promote mask-wearing

A statue of Oni, a demon-like supernatural Japanese folklore creature or yokai, which was given a face mask sits on a bench in front of a closed grocery store in…

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Influential business lobby in Japan to waive patents to battle virus

Japan’s biggest business lobby, Keidanren, will ask its member companies to waive patents that might be helpful in developing technologies to fight the coronavirus, the Japan Times reported Toyota Motor…

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Japan needs to keep emergency in place, 2021 Olympics ‘difficult,’ top doctor says

It is too early to consider lifting Japan's state of emergency over the coronavirus, the head of the Japan Medical Association Yoshitake Yokokura said on Tuesday, adding that it will…

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Japan to name and shame outlets defying coronavirus lockdown

Japan’s Osaka Prefecture said it will name and shame more pachinko parlour gambling outlets that are defying coronavirus lockdown requests after three out of six locations it identified on Friday…

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Coronavirus tally rises to 91 on Costa Atlantica ship in Japan

As many as 91 crew of an Italian cruise ship docked in Japan’s southwestern port of Nagasaki are infected with coronavirus, officials said on Friday, as questions persist over how…

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Photo Story: Crew members onboard Costa Atlantica test positive

At least 34 crew members have tested positive for coronavirus on a cruise ship docked in Japan for maintenance. The outbreak onboard the Italian-operated Costa Atlantica adds to concerns about…

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Flats as a temporary ‘coronavirus divorce’ to stressed couples in Japan

A Tokyo-based short-term rental firm launched a new service aiming to help couples avoid a “coronavirus divorce”. The concept is simple: renting 500-plus accommodation units across the country as…

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Japan virus expert ‘pessimistic’ Olympics can be held in 2021

A Japanese expert who has criticised the country's response to the coronavirus warned Monday that he is "pessimistic" that the postponed Olympics can be held even in 2021. "To be…

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Lacking protective gear, Japan’s Osaka pleads for plastic raincoats

The Japanese city of Osaka has issued an urgent plea for citizens to donate plastic raincoats to hospitals running short of protective gear for staff treating coronavirus patients, with some…

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Rise in infections among Japan’s younger generation

Japan has registered another 390 cases of infection, taking the country's tally to 7,645, according to data published the Ministry of Health. A state of emergency was declared by the…

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Japan set to declare state of emergency

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will declare a state of emergency as early as Tuesday in a bid to stop the coronavirus spreading across the country, the Yomiuri newspaper reported,…

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Tokyo reports highest jump in one day of coronavirus cases

Some 143 more cases of the novel coronavirus have been reported in Tokyo, the city’s governor said on Sunday, with the highest daily jump bringing the number of cases in…

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Japan on brink of coronavirus emergency

Japan remains on the brink of a state of emergency as the rate of new coronavirus cases accelerates across the country, its top government spokesman said on Wednesday, amid reports…

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Japan to ban travellers U.S., China, Europe

Japan will step up its efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus by banning the entry of foreign citizens traveling from the United States, China, South Korea and most of…

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Cherry blossoms, un-seasonal snowfall and fear – Covid19 in Japan

Visitors are viewing and taking photos of cherry blossoms in unseasonably snowfall in Tokyo, Japan, 29 March 2020 while Tokyo government warns to avoid crowd for viewing cherry blossoms in…

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North Korea fires more missiles

North Korea fired two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea. This was confirmed by South Korea and Japan. This missile shooting continues a streak of weapons launches that suggests leader…

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Japan marks ninth anniversary of earthquake and tsunami without ceremony

People release balloons to comfort souls of victims at Arahama district in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, norther Japan, 11 March 2020. The Japanese government was forced to call off events and…

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Tokyo Olympics may face 1-2 year delay over coronavirus

A delay of one or two years would be the "most feasible" option if the Tokyo Olympics cannot be held this summer due to the global outbreak of the coronavirus,…

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British man dies after being infected with coronavirus while in quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship

A British man has died after being infected with coronavirus while in quarantine in Japan on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, Japan's health ministry said. He is the first Briton…

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Japan to temporarily close all schools

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he will ask all elementary and high schools across the country to temporarily close beginning Monday. The development comes after a man in his…

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Coronavirus confirmed in Japanese woman for second time, after initial recovery

A Japanese woman working as a tour-bus guide in Japan has tested positive for the coronavirus for a second time, Osaka's prefectural government said, the first known person in the…

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No Coronavirus COVID-19 cases yet in Malta – People asked to avoid nonessential travelling to Northern Italy and other hit regions

The outbreak of COVID-19 has now spread to various countries. At this point, there are no COVID-19 cases in Malta. In view of the current situation, the Health Authorities are…

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Will the Coronavirus force the postponement of the Olympic Games in Tokyo?

The IOC, local organizers, the Tokyo city government and everyone involved is saying “no.” That includes Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. However, a respected Japanese virologist said this week the games…

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Two passengers who were quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship died

Two passengers who were on the cruise ship quarantined because of the coronavirus have died, according to a report. They were a man and a woman in their 80s, Japanese…

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Doubts raised on quarantine conditions imposed on Coronavirus stricken cruise liner in Japan

Quarantine conditions imposed on a stricken ship in Japan are both morally dubious and appear counterproductive, according to health experts who fear the vessel has become an incubator for the…

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Emperor’s birthday event cancelled due to COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak

The Japanese Imperial Household Agency announced it has cancelled a birthday public appearance for Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace scheduled on 23 February 2020 due to the COVID-19 coronavirus…

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Japan’s economy shrinks at fastest rate since 2014

Japan's economy shrank at the fastest rate in five years at the end of 2019 as it was hit by a sales tax rise, a major typhoon and weak global…

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“United by Emotion” revealed as Tokyo Olympic Games’ motto

United by Emotion" has been revealed as the motto for this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the games organizing committee said Monday. A committee comprised of former athletes and others…

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Japan reports first COVID-19 death to take global total to 1,710

Japan has announced its first death from the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, taking the global total to 1,710. Health minister Katsunobu Kato said the victim was a woman in her 80s…

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More virus cases on cruise ship off Japan, Possible virus hot spot in Singapore

Ten more people on a quarantined cruise liner in Japan have tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Thursday, as health experts stepped up efforts to find a vaccine for…

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Olympic organisers ‘seriously concerned’ by coronavirus spread

Olympic organisers are "seriously concerned" about the spread of coronavirus and the impact it could have on the Tokyo Games this summer. Several qualification events have already been impacted due…

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China virus toll nears 500, cases found on cruise ship in Japan

The death toll from a coronavirus outbreak in China passed 490 on Wednesday, as two U.S. airlines suspended flights to Hong Kong following the first fatality there and 10 cases…

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Mitsubishi Electric data likely compromised in massive cyberattack blamed on Chinese group

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. said Monday it has been targeted in a massive cyberattack, and that information regarding government agencies and other business partners may have been compromised, with a Chinese…

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Japan announces creation of space force in face of new threats

Japan's prime minister has announced his country will create a space defence force, in an effort to protect it from technological threats. Working closely with US President Donald Trump, the…

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Photo Story: Japanese Emperor Naruhito presents his opening address to parliament members

Japan's Emperor Naruhito attends the opening of a regular parliamentary session at the upper house of the Diet in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2020. Emperor Naruhito presented his opening address…

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Photo Story: The 25th anniversary of the Kobe earthquake in Japan remembered

Residents offer prayers for victims of the Great Hanshin (Kobe) Earthquake, in Kobe, western Japan, 17 January 2020. The event marked the 25th anniversary of the disaster, a 7.3 magnitude…

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Japan confirms first case of new China coronavirus strain

Japan has confirmed its first case of infection from the new China coronavirus that has killed one person and prompted a travel alert from the US state department. A…

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Photo Story: New Year ice water bathing ceremony in Tokyo

A man kisses a block of ice during an ice-cold water bathing ceremony at the Teppozu Inari Shrine in Tokyo, Japan, 12 January 2020. Men and women participants took part…

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Japanese royal couple’s New Year address to the country

(L-R) Japan's former Empress Michiko, former Emperor Akihito, his son and current Japanese Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and Crown Prince Akishino greet well-wishers through a bullet-proof glass from a balcony…

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Boat with two human heads washes up on Japanese coast

A handout photo made available by Sado Coast Guard Office shows Korean letters written on the outside of a wooden boat that washed ashore on Sao Island, Niigata Prefecture, Japan.…

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Japan executes first foreigner in a decade

Japan on Thursday executed a 40-year-old Chinese man who was convicted of murdering a Japanese family in 2003. Justice Minister Masako Mori said she had ordered the execution of the…

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China, Japan and South Korea agree to work together to promote dialogue between the US and North Korea

China, Japan and South Korea have agreed to work together to promote dialogue between the United States and North Korea, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Tuesday following a…

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Photo Story – Santa Paws

A dog dressed in Christmas costume is seen at the Tokyo Great Santa Run 2019 in Tokyo, Japan, 22 December 2019. Some 3,500 people participated in the event to raise…

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Japan plans to send 270 sailors to Middle East to guard ships

Japan is working on a plan to send about 270 seamen to the Middle East to guard ships supplying Japan under a law that allows military deployments for research and…

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Gunmen kill head of Japan aid agency in Afghanistan

Gunmen killed six people, including the head of a Japanese aid agency, on Wednesday in an attack on their vehicle in Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan, officials said. The ambush comes…

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Nestlé Japan launches KitKat with cocoa fruit chocolate

Nestlé has just launched the KitKat Chocolatory Cacao Fruit Chocolate, the first product to use a unique chocolate made entirely from the cocoa fruit. The iconic crispy KitKat wafer is…

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Japan’s former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone dies aged 101

Japanese former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone speaks during a press conference for the 28th Praemium Imperiale award in Tokyo, Japan, 17 October 2016 (reissued 29 November 2019). Japan's NHK television…

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Japan and South Korea scramble planes to shadow Russian bombers

Japan and South Korea scrambled jets to shadow two Russian strategic bombers over the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea, Russian news agencies…

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Photo Story: Pope Francis in Japan

Pope Francis (R) gives his blessings to a baby as he arrives at Tokyo Dome prior to celebrating a Holy Mass in Tokyo, Japan, 25 November 2019. The pope is…

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Pope voices concern over future energy as he comforts victims of Fukushima disaster

Pope Francis expressed concern about future energy sources as he comforted victims of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear reactor disaster on Monday, noting a call by Japan’s Catholic bishops to abolish…

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Pope Francis visits Nagasaki in Japan

In a long-awaited speech in Nagasaki, Pope Francis strongly criticized the concept of nuclear deterrence and warned of arm races while calling on world leaders to instead use money and…

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Pope Francis to visit Japan from Saturday

Pope Francis ended his visit in Thailand and is set to arrive in Japan on Saturday to spread his message of peace. He will be the first head of the…

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Photo Story: 2019 Beaujolais Nouveau official release in Japan

People raise their glasses filled with 2019 Beaujolais Nouveau wine, as they bathe in a 'wine bath', coloured hot water, on the day of the Beaujolais Nouveau official release, at…

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Abe becomes Japan’s longest serving PM

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe became Japan’s longest-serving premier on Wednesday, a remarkable feat for a leader who once quit in humiliation, but the day was marred by questions about possible…

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