Once an emergency is declared, prefectural governors can instruct residents to stay indoors and ask for schools to close and events to be canceled.

A court ordered the government and the operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant Tuesday to pay a combined ¥52.9 million ($513,000) in damages to 89 people who evacuated from their hometowns to Hokkaido after the 2011 nuclear disaster. The Sapporo District Court ruling marked ...

The government on Tuesday approved a bill to expand the nation's anti-online piracy law to encompass manga, magazines and academic texts. The current law only applies to the illicit downloading of music and videos. But following the revision of the copyright law, which the government ...

In a memorial service with only 10 people in attendance, Tokyo on Tuesday marked the 75th anniversary of the firebombing of the city by U.S. forces during World War II that killed an estimated 100,000 people, making it one of the most deadly air ...

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government aims to pass by week's end controversial revisions to a 2012 law governing national actions to be taken in the event of new types of influenza. The changes, which the administration aims to pass with as much opposition approval as ...

In a deserted part of Fukushima Prefecture dotted with vacant lots, a sleek modern building stands out. In a workshop inside, a woman with a ponytail wearing purple protective eyeglasses carefully melts a tiny glass tube into the shape of a plum blossom. Behind the ...

Japan and South Korea held a teleconference Tuesday to discuss trade export controls placed on each other amid the diplomatic feud over wartime labor compensation. The talks at the director general level were initially scheduled to take place in Seoul but had to be held ...

The delivery industry’s apparent high-risk nature was highlighted by Sagawa Express Co.’s announcement Monday that one of its drivers tested positive Sunday night for COVID-19.

Just as China's factories get back on their feet after being laid low by the coronavirus, a drop in demand from their biggest trading partners around the world is coming back to give them another hit. Manufacturing firms across China say they are close to ...

Patients with hypertension appear to be at a higher risk of dying from the coronavirus, said a top Chinese intensive care doctor who's been treating critically ill patients since mid-January. While there's been no published research yet explaining why, Chinese doctors working in Wuhan, the ...

The coronavirus is increasingly weighing on global consumer sentiment, but its impact can vary greatly. Take Japan. The outbreak here has been mild, but consumer confidence has taken the biggest hit among major economies, according to daily tracking surveys in 12 countries by Morning Consult, ...

Mark Meadows, U.S. President Donald Trump's incoming White House chief of staff, has quarantined himself after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for the new virus that causes COVID-19, according to a person familiar with the matter. Meadows, a veteran Republican congressman from ...

Many smaller companies in the tourism, retail and other services sectors have encountered bankruptcy risks as the epidemic disrupts supply chains.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited the coronavirus epicenter of Wuhan for the first time since the disease emerged, a trip intended to project confidence that his government has managed to stem its spread domestically. Xi arrived Tuesday morning in the capital of hard-hit Hubei province, ...

Municipalities nationwide are beginning to break with the government's request to close schools in a bid to contain the new coronavirus outbreak, with some opting to reopen schools earlier than planned after briefly closing their doors. The city of Urasoe, in Okinawa Prefecture, said Monday ...

The rule will be implemented through a revision to a law enacted in response to panic-buying during the 1973 oil crisis.

The coronavirus is closer to causing a pandemic, but outbreaks in countries can still be controlled through a combination of containment and mitigation measures, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. Four countries — China, South Korea, Italy and Iran — account for 93 ...

While the hermit kingdom understandably appears to be turning inward, it may also feel compelled to lash out internationally

The government should create basic guidelines on how to disseminate information and give consultation services in foreign languages on COVID-19.

A new trend is emerging: Countries are using economic strength to achieve a balance of power.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a "request" to close schools, not an "order." Let's look at the language of a Kyodo News piece on the subject.

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the B. League has revamped its postseason schedule, it announced on Tuesday. Late last month, the league decided to suspend regular-season contests until Wednesday, making them up later on by pushing back the start of the postseason. Now, with a revised ...

Hakuho improved to a 3-0 Tuesday at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, while fellow yokozuna Kakuryu bounced back from an upset loss the previous day. Chasing a record-extending 44th top-level title, Hakuho had to work hard to defeat No. 1 maegashira Takayasu in the final ...

The fog of uncertainty surrounding the NPB season hung just as think in the air at Yokohama Stadium as the gray clouds that hovered above the ballpark on Tuesday morning. The Yokohama BayStars and Hanshin Tigers were supposed to play a preseason game in the ...

When Takamisakari called it a day back in 2013, this paper carried a headline declaring that the "clown prince of sumo" had retired, while Kyodo News opened with a line that called the former komusubi's pre-bout rituals "goofball antics." Those were somewhat harsh assessments, as ...

Tsukimi Namiki and Sena Irie won their respective bouts at a Tokyo Games qualification meet on Monday, and are set to become the first female boxers from Japan to compete at an Olympics. The 21-year-old Namiki defeated Thailand's Jutamas Jitpong in a unanimous decision in ...

Sara Takanashi claimed her 100th World Cup podium finish on Monday, winning a rescheduled ski jumping event. The 23-year-old is moving closer to the all-time podium record held by retired Finn Janne Ahonen, who finished in the top-three 108 times and claimed 36 ski jump ...