News On Japan

Tokyo reports 250 cases on Thursday

Aug 28 (NHK) - The Tokyo Metropolitan government says it confirmed 250 new cases of the coronavirus in the capital on Thursday.

Officials say this is a preliminary figure as of 3 p.m.

It's the second straight day that more than 200 new infections have been reported in the Japanese capital.

The figure brings the total number of cases in Tokyo to 20,096.

Meanwhile, the government of Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward has started classifying restaurants and bars in terms of their preventive measures against the coronavirus.

The ward provides two types of stickers, Class I or Class II, for businesses to display and lists their names on its website.

A checklist of basic items must be met to qualify for the Class I category. Class II requires additional anti-infection measures and an inspection.

On Thursday, officials visited an Italian restaurant that had applied for the top classification. They asked about cleaning and disinfection methods, using a list of more than 40 items. They also checked if the ventilation was satisfactory.

The staff were advised to stand to the side of customers when taking their orders.

The restaurant manager, Nakagawa Yumi, says she wasn't sure if their anti-infection procedures were sufficient, so she was relieved to be given the advice.

She also says she wants people to feel confident about dining in her restaurant when they see the sticker.

Health official Ichikawa Kensuke says he hopes the ward's new system will help restaurants and bars to continue taking preventive measures against the coronavirus.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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.