Almost 99 percent of Japan's public elementary schools shut as COVID-19 spreads

Mar 06, 2020 | News On Japan

Mar 06, 2020 (Japan Times) - In line with Prime Minister Shinzo Abeâ€™s request last week that schools nationwide close their doors following the COVID-19 virus outbreak, 98.8 percent of all municipally run elementary schools have started extraordinary breaks, education ministry data has shown.

Of the 19,161 such elementary schools nationwide, 18,923 are now closed, the data showed Wednesday. It showed that 316 elementary and junior high schools in 20 municipalities have decided not to shut.

Among prefectural-run institutions, 3,314 high schools were closed in 46 of the 47 prefectures, excluding Shimane Prefecture, according to the data as of Wednesday. So were 869 special-needs schools in 45 prefectures, excluding Saitama and Shimane.

On Feb. 27, the prime minister called for all elementary, junior high and senior high schools, and special-needs schools, to be closed from Monday in a bid to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

Based on Abeâ€™s request, the ministry last Friday instructed local education boards to shut schools from Monday through the end of spring break, which typically ends in early April, while allowing each local government to make decisions on whether to actually close schools and for how long.

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.