News On Japan

Japan's total number of coronavirus cases tops 50,000

Aug 11 (Japan Times) - The cumulative total of COVD-19 infections in Japan surpassed 50,000 on Monday, including about 700 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama in February.

It was Aug. 3 that the nationwide total reached 40,000, and it took only seven days to add another 10,000.

On Monday, at least 510 people newly tested positive for the virus across the country.

Among Japan's 47 prefectures, Tokyo confirmed 197 new infections on Monday, the first drop under 200 since July 27 when 131 cases were reported, the metropolitan government said.

The daily figures have been running high in Tokyo since late July and hit a daily record of 472 on Aug. 1. On Sunday, the daily cases stood at 331.

Monday's 197 cases were confirmed after 3,243 tests were conducted Friday, the metropolitan government said. It brings the city's total infections to 16,064.

Of Monday's total, 65 people were in their 20s and 45 in their 30s, together making up 56 percent, according to the metropolitan government. Of the rest, 34 people were in their 40s, 22 in their 50s, eight in the 10-19 age bracket, seven in their 70s, six under 10, five in their 60s and five in their 80s.

The number of seriously ill coronavirus patients in Tokyo stood at 24, up by one from Sunday.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Typhoon No. 24 (Fung-shen) is strengthening over the South China Sea and is expected to make landfall in Vietnam later this week, according to forecasts. Satellite images on October 20th show extensive cloud coverage over the central South China Sea. After passing over the Philippines, Fung-shen temporarily weakened but is projected to intensify again as it continues westward through Tuesday.

Tokyo’s seas and rivers, once considered lawless backwaters beyond the reach of regular policing, are now under constant watch by a dedicated force known as the “water police,” specialists who patrol the capital’s waterways, chase down smugglers, stop reckless jet ski riders, and carry out dramatic rescue missions to save lives.

Kyoto’s world-famous Arashiyama district, a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists, is facing a growing problem of graffiti etched into the bamboo along its iconic “Bamboo Grove Path,” with more than 350 stalks now damaged — a practice that experts warn could eventually cause bamboo to weaken, fall, and even injure visitors.

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.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

The October issue of the long-established American lifestyle magazine Town & Country features Mako Komuro, the eldest daughter of the Akishino family, on the cover under the headline "Princess Ingognito," dedicating a six-page spread to Komuro and her husband Kei, exploring their life in the United States.

Police have arrested a former host and several associates for allegedly coercing female customers into sex work after exploiting their romantic feelings and saddling them with massive debts.

A violent attack early on October 20th in Ibaraki Town, Ibaraki Prefecture left one man dead and another injured after they were stabbed with what appeared to be a bladed weapon inside an apartment. Police are investigating the case as a murder.

A woman in her 40s suffered a serious injury after being trapped in a mechanical parking system in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward on October 19th.

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.