Japan extends ban on new foreign arrivals

Jan 11, 2022 | News On Japan

Jan 11, 2022 (NHK) - The Japanese government has decided to extend the border restrictions that have resulted in a virtual ban on new foreign entrants.

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio unveiled a new set of anti-coronavirus measures on Tuesday. The action comes amid a recent surge in the number of cases.

Kishida said the border control measure that went into effect in late November will stay in place until the end of February. He indicated that humanitarian issues and national interests will be taken into account in some cases.

The central government and local governments will provide more information on the country's medical systems, such as the occupancy rates at hospitals.

Quasi-emergency restrictions are in place in Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima prefectures. Those prefectures will provide information about their respective healthcare systems as soon as possible. Information about the other prefectures will follow.

The government also wants to speed up the pace at which third doses of the coronavirus vaccines are being rolled out.

Prefectural governments will be asked to accelerate the rollout for elderly citizens. They will be asked to set up large-scale venues, secure additional sites and utilize vaccine stockpiles stored across the country.

The government plans to make boosters available to the general public earlier than planned by using the Moderna vaccine. Additional doses of the vaccine have been secured. Third doses for the general public will be available starting in March.

Officials say the Self-Defense Forces will set up large-scale venues to help local municipalities with the rollout.

Children aged 12 or older will be urged to get vaccinated, as many young people have become infected with the Omicron variant. The government also plans to complete the necessary procedures to enable children below the age of 12 to get vaccinated.

Online classes will be prepared just in case schools have to be closed. The government plans to ask entities offering entrance exams to be flexible and allow students to take makeup tests, if necessary. Schools will also be asked to admit students after the academic year begins in April.

Kishida told reporters that the important thing is to safeguard people's lives. He indicated that the country is battling against an unknown virus. He called on people to be fully prepared. But he said people should not be overly afraid.

Source: TBS NEWS

Toyota to Launch Self-Driving Taxis in 2027

Toyota Motor will begin operating fully autonomous taxis in 2027 through a partnership with U.S. self-driving technology company Waymo, marking a major step in the Japanese automaker's efforts to expand driverless transportation services.

Mount Fuji Puts on First Snowcap

Mount Fuji has received its first snowcap of the season, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on October 30, after temperatures at the summit plunged to minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, marking the arrival of winter conditions on Japan's highest mountain.

Chinese Female Spy Suspected of Targeting Nvidia Chief

U.S. intelligence agencies suspect that a Chinese female intelligence operative developed a close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in an attempt to obtain confidential corporate and U.S. government information, according to a report published by The New York Times on October 29th.

Japan Blocks Websites Leaking GMO Personal Data

The Japanese government has asked major telecommunications operators to forcibly block access to websites believed to contain personal information stolen in a cyberattack on GMO, it emerged on October 29th, as authorities moved to prevent further exposure of sensitive data online.

Typhoon No. 31 Heads Toward Japan's Remote Islands

Typhoon No. 31 was located near Minamitorishima Island in the Pacific Ocean, as of 3 a.m. on October 30, and was expected to approach the Ogasawara Islands south of Tokyo over the October 31-November 1 weekend while maintaining very strong intensity, bringing a growing risk of dangerously high waves, powerful swells and extremely rough seas.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Landlords Bear Financial Burden of Lonely Deaths

Japan's rapidly aging population is facing a growing crisis of elderly people dying alone at home, with grieving families sometimes unable to see their loved ones before burial and landlords increasingly forced to shoulder substantial cleanup and estate clearance costs when relatives abandon their inheritance.

Prison Inmates Help Preserve Japan's Traditional Crafts

Traditional Japanese crafts are finding an unexpected source of skilled workers in prisons across the country, where inmates are learning painstaking production techniques that build patience and concentration while helping preserve industries struggling with a shortage of craftspeople.

South Korean Man Arrested Over Killing of Japanese Woman Following Stock Crash

A Japanese woman in her 20s was found dead at an apartment complex in Cheonan, central South Korea, on October 29th, prompting police to detain a South Korean man in his 30s on suspicion of murder after he allegedly confessed to killing her because he had decided to commit suicide following stock market losses but could not bring himself to die alone.

Japan's Imperial Family Hosts Autumn Garden Party

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted the annual autumn garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo on October 29, welcoming approximately 1,400 guests, including actor Kotaro Yoshida and novelist Miyuki Miyabe, while female members of the Imperial Family attended in traditional Japanese attire.

Rescuers Save Paraglider Who Stopped Breathing

A 59-year-old water sports rental shop owner in Omachi, Nagano Prefecture, has received a letter of appreciation from police after rescuing a paraglider who plunged into a lake on September 21, pulling the unconscious man from the water and performing CPR after discovering he was no longer breathing.

Couple's Gardening Hobby Turns Out to Be Cannabis Cultivation

A married couple in Aira, Kagoshima Prefecture, have been arrested after police discovered cannabis plants growing in pots on the terrace of their home during a search connected to a separate investigation, authorities said on October 28th.

Elderly Woman Drives Along Railway Tracks, Ends in Tragedy

A woman in her 80s was killed after her car entered railway tracks on the Odakyu Enoshima Line in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, shortly before 10:30 p.m. on October 27, with security camera footage showing the vehicle traveling along the tracks, passing an oncoming train and stopping with its hazard lights flashing before being struck from behind by another train.

Teen Hospitalized After Electric Shock From Basketball Hoop

A teenage male was rushed to a hospital after suffering an electric shock while putting away a motorized basketball hoop at a gymnasium in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, in an accident believed to have been caused by an incompatible extension cord, according to a report on October 27th.

< 2 3 4 5 >