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

Mar 06 (Japan Times) - In line with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’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 Abe’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.

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Japan’s streaming industry is under growing pressure as foreign giants tighten their grip on the domestic market, with Netflix’s latest move to secure exclusive broadcast rights in Japan for every game of the World Baseball Classic next March highlighting the widening gap.

Investigators from the Immigration Services Agency conducted on-site inspections in Osaka on October 14th amid a surge in so-called 'paper companies' created by foreign nationals seeking residency.

The first grand sumo tournament in London in 34 years opened on October 15th, transforming the iconic Royal Albert Hall into a little corner of Japan and drawing more than 5,400 spectators for a spectacular night of traditional wrestling.

The relocation of Arimasu Tobiru, a distinctive architectural landmark on Hijirizaka in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, was carried out between August and October after nearly two decades of construction.

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A former pet shop owner convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting several female employees and sentenced to 30 years in prison appealed his case at the Fukuoka High Court on October 14th, again claiming that the acts were consensual.

The relocation of Arimasu Tobiru, a distinctive architectural landmark on Hijirizaka in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, was carried out between August and October after nearly two decades of construction.

A Brazilian man has been arrested and indicted for smuggling cocaine into Japan by swallowing the drugs and concealing them inside his body.

Prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for a man accused of killing three family members and seriously injuring another with a crossbow in 2020 in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture.

A police officer approaches a parked car in a dark city parking lot — and what emerges from inside is shocking. How do professionals detect crimes that hide in the night? This investigation looks into the work of officers on the front line.

A woman who had been in critical condition after being struck by a small car near JR Nagoya Station was confirmed dead on October 15th, according to Aichi Prefectural Police. The 49-year-old victim was among three pedestrians hit at an intersection in Nakamura Ward when the vehicle veered out of its lane.

Police arrested two people, including bar manager Maoya Suzuki, on suspicion of violating Japan’s Anti-Prostitution Law after allegedly forcing a female employee at a girls’ bar into prostitution while monitoring her movements through GPS.

A man wearing a ski mask attempted to rob a convenience store in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, in the early hours of October 14th, but fled the scene empty-handed after the clerk shouted loudly, according to local police.