Society

Japan to lift state of emergency except Okinawa

Jun 17 (NHK) - Japan's government is considering lifting the coronavirus state of emergency currently issued for 10 prefectures except Okinawa.

It also plans to apply intensive preventive measures to seven of them, including Tokyo and Osaka.

The plan was agreed at a meeting on Wednesday between Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and the minister in charge of coronavirus response, Nishimura Yasutoshi, health minister Tamura Norihisa and others.

According to the plan, the state of emergency for nine prefectures will end on Sunday. Seven of those prefectures, which are Hokkaido, Tokyo, Aichi, Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto and Fukuoka, will be placed under intensive anti-virus measures until July 11.

The government has told its plan to governing parties.

As for Okinawa, the government plans to extend the state of emergency until July 11 as its medical system remains under strain.

Other five prefectures have been under special preventive measures. The designation for the measures will be lifted in Gifu and Mie prefectures on Sunday, but will be extended to July 11 in Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures.

The government will seek advice from a panel of infectious disease experts on Thursday. If approved, the plan will be finalized at a government task force meeting.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.