Society

Japan's COVID-19 cases rise 87% during first week of Olymics

Aug 02 (UPI) - Halfway through the Summer Olympics in Japan, coronavirus cases are surging in the nation during a state of emergency though the outbreak is nowhere near as severe as other places as the world deal with a more contagious Delta variant.

Tokyo 2020 boss Toshiro Muto said at a news conference Sunday that the COVID-19 surge is not linked to the Games, which included 11,000 athletes representing 206 countries. The positivity rate is only 0.02% -- 72 out of around 350,000 tests through Friday, which includes participants and other stakeholders.

On the 10th day of the Olympics, including the opening ceremonies, Japan announced five additional deaths and 10,177 cases, compared with four fatalities and 5,020 infections one week earlier. In one week Japan's total cases have risen 87% to 937,293, which is 33rd in the world. Deaths have gone up 68 down 24% from the previous week, to a total of 15,211, ranking 37th globally.

Japan has 7,344 infections per million compared with the world at 25,495, the United States at 107,311, Britain at 85,783 and Indonesia at 12,436. For fatalities, Japan is at 121 fatalities per million compared with the world at 543.5, the United States at 1,889, Britain at 1,899, Indonesia at 346.

Over 300 New Geoglyphs Discovered by Yamagata University in Nazca

Yamagata University, which has been conducting research on the Nazca geoglyphs in Peru, announced the discovery of over 300 new geoglyphs, depicting a variety of subjects, including humans and animals.

University of Tokyo Raises Tuition Fees for First Time in 20 Years

The University of Tokyo has officially decided to increase tuition by approximately 110,000 yen for incoming undergraduate students starting next academic year, bringing the total to 642,960 yen.

Flooding Hits Temporary Housing in Quake-Stricken Wajima

Flooding has reached the temporary housing in Wajima City, built for earthquake victims, and volunteers have begun clearing the mud starting on September 24.

Russian military plane intrudes into Japanese airspace, Tokyo lodges protest

A Japanese government spokesperson says a Russian military airplane entered Japanese airspace three times on Monday. (NHK)

Kishida vows in meeting with Zelenskyy continued support for Ukraine

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has conveyed his country's intention to maintain support for Ukraine to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (NHK)

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Woman in Floral Mini-Skirt Targets Zoo Outlets with Mysterious Tape

Strange incidents involving a woman placing black tape on outlets have been occurring around zoos in the Izu area of Shizuoka Prefecture.

Japanese Households with Buddhist Altars Has Drastically Decreased

As the number of households with Buddhist altars continues to decline, largely due to space limitations in modern housing, wholesalers of Buddhist goods are struggling with unsold inventory.

Twelve Referred to Prosecutors for Alleged Abuse at Kuwana Festival Horse Event

Twelve individuals involved in the traditional 'Ageuma Shinji' horse event held last year at Tado Shrine in Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture, have been referred to prosecutors on allegations of violent behavior toward horses, including forcing them up steep slopes.