News On Japan

Coronavirus cases in Japan exceed 11,500

Apr 22 (NHK) - The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Japan stood at 11,543 on Tuesday after 390 new cases were detected nationwide.

The tally includes people tested at airport quarantine stations, health ministry officials, and individuals who returned to Japan on chartered planes.

The addition of the 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship brings the total to 12,255.

Twenty fatalities linked to the virus were reported across the country on Tuesday. This brings the total death toll in Japan to 296, including 13 from the ship.

Tokyo tops the list of prefectures with the most infections at 3,307. Osaka is second with 1,349, followed by Kanagawa with 812, Chiba with 725, Saitama with 686, Hyogo with 543 and Fukuoka with 542.

Health ministry officials say 236 people remain in serious condition as of Tuesday, including four from the cruise ship.

The officials say 2,001 have recovered and left hospital. Of these, 1,356 were diagnosed in Japan, while 645 were infected on the ship.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries held an emergency meeting to address the rapid outbreak of avian influenza, urging prefectural governments to strengthen hygiene management measures.

Japan is facing a deepening crisis of poverty and inequality, with rising reports of 'invisible homeless' individuals and growing economic hardships among the population. Discussions over reforms to the country's tax and welfare systems have taken center stage, as policymakers grapple with how to provide meaningful support.

A special lighting ceremony was held on November 20th at Ueno Toshogu Shrine, located in Ueno Park, Taito Ward, Tokyo. The event featured a unique lighting design created by renowned lighting designer Motoko Ishii.

A Japanese pharmaceutical company has announced the successful commercialization of fiber made from silk produced by bagworms.

Sales for the Year-End Jumbo Lottery, which offers a combined prize of 1 billion yen for the first prize and adjacent prizes, have officially begun.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

A man with a distinctive snake-like tattoo on his face has been arrested for shoplifting and assaulting a convenience store employee in Tokyo. The suspect, identified as 49-year-old Masakatsu Echizenya, is accused of stealing items from a store around noon on November 15th and violently attacking the employee who confronted him.

Hifumi Kato, affectionately known as 'Hifumin,' has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records for the longest-running chess puzzle column in a magazine.

A male caretaker at Tennoji Zoo in Osaka has been sent to prosecutors on suspicion of stealing vegetables and fruits used as monkey feed.

The operator of a strip theater in Osaka's Tenma district, advertised as "Western Japan's largest," has been arrested alongside nine others for exposing dancers' lower bodies to customers, police announced.

Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine in Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture, has begun producing traditional calligraphy artwork for next year’s New Year celebrations.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested five people on suspicion of violating Japan's Employment Security Act. They are believed to have run a nationwide operation to recruit women via social media to work in the sex industry. (NHK)

A human hand was discovered protruding from the ground at a cemetery in Nara City on November 18th, around 1:30 p.m.

Tanikawa Shuntaro -- a renowned Japanese poet who used his keen sense of observation in creating a vast body of work -- has died of old age. He was 92. (NHK)