Japan's health ministry plans to establish a system to effectively track foreign nationals who tested positive for coronavirus after entering the country.
(NHK)
Little change was seen in the flow of commuters at major train stations in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures Friday morning as a fresh state of emergency came into effect in the metropolitan area to stop the spread of COVID-19.
(Japan Times)
Japan will further tighten its border controls from Saturday by requiring all people arriving to submit negative results from virus tests taken within 72 hours of their departure for Japan during the period of the latest state of emergency.
(Kyodo)
Japan's public transport providers are considering limiting operations to reduce mobility under the country's new coronavirus state of emergency, which is largely voluntary with no effective punishments for those who do not comply with curfews. (Nikkei)
This April and May, Malta will host the tenth anniversary edition of the InClassica International Music Festival, a three-week long celebration of classical music featuring world-renowned soloists, leading international orchestras and celebrated conductors. (newsonjapan.com)
A pagoda at Yakushiji, a Buddhist temple listed as a World Heritage site in Japan's ancient capital of Nara, will be partially opened to the public from March after undergoing its first major renovation in more than a century. (Japan Times)
The number of people using shinkansen and conventional train services operated by Japan Railway companies plunged 68% during the year-end and New Year’s period compared to a year earlier, to 4,879,000, marking the lowest level since comparable data was made available in 1991, six JR companies said Wednesday. (Japan Times)
The Japanese government has begun considering suspending new entries of foreign nationals under business travel agreements with 11 countries and regions, including China and South Korea, in an effort to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. (Nikkei)
The number of traffic accident fatalities in Japan fell to 2,839 in 2020, marking the lowest level since comparable data became available in 1948, a police survey showed Monday. (Japan Times)
Dozens of amateur photographers gathered over the New Year holiday in a village in Hokkaido that is known for its red-crowned cranes. The bird is designated as a special natural monument of Japan.
(NHK)
Crowds of people were visiting Meiji Jingu, a major Shinto shrine in central Tokyo, early Friday after the coronavirus outbreak put the brakes on the tradition of visiting the shrine overnight on New Year's Eve.
(NHK)
Railway operators in the Tokyo metropolitan area say they will not run trains all night on New Year's Eve into New Year's Day due to the coronavirus outbreak.
(NHK)