State of emergency lifted, but outings limited

May 28, 2020 | News On Japan

May 28, 2020 (NHK) - Mobile phone data shows there was only a slight increase in the number of people around train stations and business streets in Tokyo and four other prefectures the day after the state of emergency was lifted.

The Japanese government on Monday lifted the restriction, which was imposed to curb the spread of infections, from the last five prefectures.

Mobile carrier NTT Docomo is collecting information on people's locations across Japan using base station data, which it says protects privacy.

The survey shows the number of people on Tuesday increased 6 percent around Tokyo's Shinjuku Station and 3.6 percent near Shibuya Station.

There was also a 3.6 percent rise in and around the Marunouchi business district, 2.3 percent in and around the Otemachi business district, and 1.2 percent in and around Ginza.

In areas outside of Tokyo, the figure was up 5 percent around Yokohama Station in Kanagawa Prefecture, and 3 percent around Chiba Station.

The number of people located around Omiya Station in Saitama Prefecture was down by 0.5 percent. In the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, the number increased by 0.2 percent around Sapporo Station.

Compared with the average from mid-January to mid-February this year, before the spread of the coronavirus, the figure was down 56.3 percent around Shinjuku Station in Tokyo.

It was also 52.3 percent lower around Sapporo Station, 48.5 percent lower around Omiya Station, 46.3 percent lower around Yokohama Station, and 27.1 percent lower around Chiba Station.

Firefighters Battle Blaze at Plastic Factory in Nara

A fire broke out at a factory handling waste plastic in Nara City on October 13, sending thick black smoke into the air and prompting the dispatch of 12 fire engines after firefighters received an emergency call shortly before 3:30 p.m. from a factory representative reporting smoke rising from inside the building, with all workers safely evacuated and no injuries reported.

AI Breaks Japan's Language Barrier, Fueling Rise in Cyberattacks

Japan is facing a growing wave of cyberattacks as advances in artificial intelligence remove the language barrier that once made Japanese companies difficult targets for overseas hackers, with more than 68 million personal records potentially exposed in a series of security incidents over the past two weeks.

Record-Strong El Nino Expected to Bring Warm Winter to Japan

Japan is expected to experience a warmer-than-normal winter as the El Nino phenomenon currently affecting the Pacific Ocean has reached its strongest level on record, with the Japan Meteorological Agency announcing on October 10th that unusually high sea surface temperatures are likely to persist through the coming winter months.

Otsu Festival Parades Elaborate Floats Following UNESCO Recognition

The Otsu Festival, one of Shiga Prefecture's three major traditional festivals, was held in Otsu City on October 11th, featuring a procession of 13 elaborately decorated floats carrying traditional mechanical puppets through the streets, following the festival's addition to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in December last year.

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.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

13-Year-Old Girl Among Four Injured in Festival Float Crash

Four people, including a 13-year-old junior high school girl, were injured when a large festival float collided with a roadside tree during an autumn festival in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on October 12th.

Fugitive Cuban Man Arrested Over Attempted Murder

A 46-year-old Cuban national has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a 32-year-old foreign national at a restaurant in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, on October 11, fleeing the scene before turning himself in to police the following day.

Late-Life Divorce in Japan Reaches Record High

The proportion of divorces involving couples married for at least 20 years has reached a record high in Japan, driven by greater financial independence among women and longer life expectancy, with women initiating an estimated 70% to 80% of late-life separations.

House Fire Breaks Out During Wasp Nest Removal

A fire broke out at a home in Shirakawa, Gifu Prefecture, on October 12th after flames apparently spread to the building during an operation to remove a wasp nest, burning two residential structures and leaving one worker with minor injuries.

Two Killed, Eight Injured in Osaka Danjiri Festival Accidents

Two men were killed and eight others injured in separate accidents involving traditional danjiri festival floats in Osaka Prefecture on October 10, including one incident in which a float overturned while making a sharp turn, crushing a participant beneath it.

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.

Woman Who Kept 270 Dogs Pleads Not Guilty to Animal Abuse

A former dog breeder accused of failing to provide veterinary treatment to injured dogs at a facility in Neyagawa, Osaka Prefecture, pleaded not guilty as her trial opened on October 7, saying she had raised the animals with affection.

Twin Brothers Busted Stealing Copper from Shrine Roof

Twin brothers have been arrested on suspicion of stealing copper roofing from a remote shrine in Kochi Prefecture, as police investigate a series of similar thefts reported at about 10 shrines across the prefecture since around September 2025.

< 2 3 4 5 >