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Imperial couple's visit to Britain postponed amid virus outbreak

Mar 20 (Japan Times) - The planned state visit by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to Britain in the second quarter of this year will be postponed due to the new coronavirus outbreak, Japan’s top government spokesman said Thursday.

“In view of the spread of new coronavirus infections in the world, we have judged it appropriate for us to rearrange the timing of the visit in consultation with the British government,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a news conference.

Despite the plan change, the state visit, at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II, will likely be the first overseas trip by the imperial couple since Emperor Naruhito took the throne in May, Suga said.

The announcement came as the focus of the global viral outbreak has shifted to Europe, prompting many governments to call on people to stay indoors and impose travel restrictions to contain COVID-19, the illness caused by the new virus.

In Japan, the government decided Wednesday to cancel banquets originally planned for April to celebrate Crown Prince Akishino’s new status as first in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

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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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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.

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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.