Society

Coronavirus cases on the rise again in Japan

Dec 30 (NHK) - The number of new coronavirus cases is on the rise again in Japan. Authorities confirmed more than 500 infections on Wednesday for the first time in two months.

Officials in Tokyo reported 76 new cases, topping 50 for the first time since mid-October. That marked a week-on-week increase for 12 days in a row.

Officials at the US Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, say 80 personnel tested positive for the coronavirus. That is the highest number reported on the base in a single day.

At the Marine Corps' Camp Hansen in the southern prefecture of Okinawa, nearly 300 people have been confirmed to be infected so far.

Japan's foreign ministry believes 47 percent of the samples are of the Omicron variant.

Currently only Japanese nationals and returning foreign residents are being allowed into the country. Anyone arriving from countries or territories where Omicron cases have been confirmed must quarantine for three to 10 days in designated facilities.

Health ministry officials confirmed 113 new Omicron cases among those who entered the country between December 17 and 25.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

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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.

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