Japan began a rollout of a fourth dose of coronavirus vaccine Wednesday, targeting people aged 60 or older and others with higher risks. (NHK)

Can robots be used for therapy? In Japan, the answer is yes. Tech-savvy Japan is harnessing robots to care for its elderly & tackle the country's loneliness epidemic. Is this a win for technology or loss for humanity? (WION)

A Japanese film-maker is shaking Cannes film audiences to the core with a dystopian vision of her country in which old people agree to be euthanised to solve the challenge of a rapidly ageing population. (rfi.fr)

The Japanese government has issued a fresh recommendation on the use of face masks. It says people need not wear a face mask when out of doors even if there is not a great distance between themselves and others. The advice is based on the assumption that little to no conversation is taking place. (NHK)

The health ministry adopted a plan Wednesday to limit eligibility for fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines to those age 60 or over, as well as those who are age 18 or over with underlying conditions. (Japan Times)

Elderly Western visitors to East Asia often say they enjoy their trips partly because of the respect accorded to older people. But these cultural habits can hold back countries such as Japan and South Korea when it comes to sport. (Nikkei)

Aiming to address the problem of harassment in the political arena, the government has released a video with short scenes based on real cases of harassment of lawmakers, with a particular focus on younger politicians. (Japan Times)

New coronavirus cases are trending slightly upward in Japan. Some prefectures have even recorded daily highs. (NHK)

More than 35 percent of people in Japan feel lonely and isolated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with young people in their 20s and 30s hit harder than the elderly as the result of limited social interaction, a government survey showed Friday. (Japan Today)

Japanese officials and experts say more than 800,000 people live in areas that may be subject to evacuation warnings if Mount Fuji erupts. (NHK)

Muddled and frustrating almost from the outset, Yoshihiro Fukagawa’s achingly sentimental weepie Love Like the Falling Petals struggles to tell its story with coherent clarity. (scmp.com)

Police in Tokyo said Thursday that a 47-year-old man who has been arrested for exposing himself to a 22-year-old woman as she walked home, has admitted doing the same thing to other women on at least 30 occasions. (Japan Today)

Japan's health ministry on Thursday approved Pfizer's COVID-19 pill Paxlovid for patients with mild to moderate symptoms, making it the second such oral medication to receive the fast-track treatment. (Nikkei)

Three stones were thrown from an apartment building in Osaka, on Thursday, narrowly missing an 11-year-old boy walking below. (Japan Today)

Japanese authorities are struggling to curb a spike in coronavirus infections. The government is set to extend quasi-emergency measures covering Tokyo and 12 other prefectures and implement a more focused approach for children and the elderly. (NHK)

Japan's health ministry on Thursday approved Pfizer's COVID-19 pill Paxlovid for patients with mild to moderate symptoms, making it the second such oral medication to receive the fast-track treatment. (Nikkei)

In his early 70s, Koji Uchida began to vanish. The first time, the police found him sitting in front of a vending machine 27 kilometers from home. (Japan Times)

As daily infections continue to rise in Japan, healthcare workers are struggling to deal with growing numbers of patients, especially those who are elderly or have underlying issues. (NHK)

A group of international researchers says that studies it conducted show the Omicron variant of the coronavirus causes less severe symptoms in the lungs of hamsters than the Delta variant. (NHK)

Japan is set to miss a target to give COVID-19 booster shots to almost 15 million people this month after the fast spread of the omicron variant threw initial rollout plans into disarray. (Japan Times)

Police in Tokyo say a high school student who was arrested on suspicion of slashing three people possessed a saw and another knife in addition to the one used in the assault. (NHK)

Japan confirmed its first deaths among people infected with the omicron coronavirus variant Saturday. (Japan Times)

The Japanese government has unveiled its latest set of anti-coronavirus measures, as the Omicron variant continues to spread. The plan includes moving up the vaccine schedule to give people their third shots earlier. (NHK)

The Japanese government has decided to extend the border restrictions that have resulted in a virtual ban on new foreign entrants. (NHK)

The National Police Agency (NPA) said in a report released Tuesday that the number of fatalities from traffic accidents in Japan in 20121 was 2,636. (Japan Today)