TOKYO, Jan 19 (Nikkei) - The Japanese government is set to decide Friday on whether to drop COVID-19 to its least serious category of infectious diseases this spring, Nikkei has learned.
The reclassification, which would put it on par with seasonal flu, would lead to major changes in how Japan responds to COVID-19, including public assistance for health care providers and patients, as well as quarantine guidelines.
Source: ANNnewsCH
Tokyo Metropolitan Government officials say "customer harassment" of service staff and other workers is a growing problem across the capital. (NHK)
In a significant move against what has been labeled as "breeding grounds for waste," the Japanese government has decided to terminate 15 state-funded projects, planning to return more than 540 billion yen to the national treasury.
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has made a ritual offering at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo for its spring festival. (NHK)
Japanese company Smile-Up, the former talent agency known as Johnny & Associates, says it has sent a letter of protest to Britain's public broadcaster BBC over its program on sexual abuse by its late founder. (NHK)
A private organization has revealed that approximately 40% of the national municipalities, totaling 744, could potentially disappear by 2050 due to declining populations.
Youngsters in Japan are enthusiastically embracing the world of cosmetics, with a recent survey reporting some 60% of elementary students own some form of makeup.
Major American IT companies like Microsoft and Oracle have announced substantial investments totalling 4 trillion yen ($26 billion) in data centers in Japan, sparking concerns about digital sovereignty and AI development.
A former host admitted to knowingly receiving approximately 25 million yen that had been deceitfully obtained by convicted scammer "Riri-chan," in a trial held on April 23.
