Society

7,348 vaccinated on 1st day at two large sites

May 24 (NHK) - Japan's Defense Ministry has announced that 7,348 people were administered coronavirus vaccinations on Monday, the first day of operations of large-scale facilities in Tokyo and Osaka.

Residents aged 65 or over in Tokyo's 23 wards and Osaka City are eligible for inoculations at the two centers. They are run by the Self-Defense Forces in Tokyo's Otemachi district and Kita Ward in Osaka City.

Ministry officials say 4,876 out of the 5,000 people who made reservations received shots at Tokyo's site, and 2,472 out of 2,500 were injected in Osaka.

The unused doses were administered to civilian nurses and staff who work at the venues, in line with earlier plans.

This week, officials plan to increase the number of people who are inoculated in stages. They will aim to inoculate up to 10,000 people a day in Tokyo and about 5,000 in Osaka from Monday, when senior residents across the whole of both prefectures become eligible.

Source: ANNnewsCH

Imperial Family Pays Tribute to War Victims

The Emperor, Empress, and their daughter Princess Aiko visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall in Sumida Ward on Thursday afternoon, marking their first visit to the site as Japan observes the 80th year since the end of World War II. They were greeted upon arrival by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and other officials.

First Snow Caps Mount Fuji, 15 Days Earlier Than Last Year

The Kofu Local Meteorological Observatory announced on October 23rd that the season’s first snow had been observed on Mount Fuji, which stands 3,776 meters tall. Around 6 a.m., an official visually confirmed that snow had clearly accumulated near the summit.

Tokyo’s Aging Expressway Reborn After Major Overhaul

After nearly a decade of construction, the newly rebuilt Haneda Line of the Metropolitan Expressway, one of Tokyo’s key arteries linking the city center with Haneda Airport, has been unveiled to the media ahead of its official switch to a new road on October 29th.

New Cabinet Takes On 'Takaichi Color'

The newly launched Takaichi Cabinet moved into full operation on October 22nd, with early personnel decisions revealing a clear conservative tone. Satsuki Katayama was appointed as finance minister and Kimi Onoda as minister in charge of foreign resident policy, underscoring what observers are calling the emergence of a distinct “Takaichi color.”

Hokkaido Launches Mass Culling After Bird Flu Detected

Authorities in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, have begun culling approximately 460,000 laying hens after a poultry farm in the region’s Iburi area confirmed infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza, marking the first confirmed outbreak of the season in Japan.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Seventh Suspect Arrested Over Tear Gas Robbery

The Metropolitan Police Department has arrested Naoki Satake, an unemployed suspect, on suspicion of robbery resulting in injury after he allegedly sprayed tear gas on a man and tried to steal 53 million yen in Tokyo’s Edogawa Ward in September.

Five Injured After Train Window Shatters Mid-Journey

A train window on the Tobu Tojo Line shattered while the train was in motion on the evening of October 22nd, leaving five passengers injured.

Record Bear Attacks in Japan

The number of people killed in bear attacks across Japan in 2025 has risen to nine—the highest ever recorded—prompting urgent responses from both the government and local authorities as incidents continue to spread from forests to residential areas.

Guinness-Recognized Fireworks Photo Removed After One Complaint

A photograph of fireworks soaring above the Edo River in Chiba’s Ichikawa City — forming what looked like a glowing Mount Fuji — was taken down from city hall just one day after being displayed, following a single citizen complaint.

Mako Komuro Appears in Six-Page Town & Country Feature

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.