Japan reported 455 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, marking the first time daily infections topped 400, NHK said. The latest tally comes just a day after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency over the deadly virus for Tokyo, Osaka and five other ...

As the Cabinet approved a record-breaking emergency stimulus package Tuesday, the deep-seated rivalries it has amplified within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party were hidden from view.

Corporate law requires firms to set a physical venue for the meeting, but the government has confirmed online options are legal — with a caveat.

To counter the economic crisis caused by the global coronavirus pandemic, Japan adopted on Tuesday its largest-ever emergency economic package worth ¥108 trillion, equivalent to about 20 percent of its gross domestic product. But some economists are skeptical about the package, saying it likely will ...

Municipalities in Tokyo are divided over whether to close the nurseries they operate after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency Tuesday over the virus crisis. Shibuya Ward in the capital has decided to shut nurseries as early as this week, except for ...

Taiwan barred all official use of Zoom, becoming one of the first governments to impose an outright ban on the popular video-conferencing app over mounting security concerns. Agencies should avoid using services such as Zoom as they may have security flaws, the island’s cabinet said ...

As several European borders limit travel to stop the spread of COVID-19, two of the world's biggest pulp makers say transportation logjams are delaying shipments of the raw material — the only ingredient in the toilet paper that people are hoarding to weather quarantines. In ...

After weeks of intense pressure Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has declared a state of emergency in seven urban areas, but what does that change?

Even with a record stimulus package, Japan’s economy is heading toward a record contraction of 25 percent this quarter after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka and some other parts of the country, according to Goldman Sachs. The call ...

China and other countries could be planning to build more coal plants to stimulate their economies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic but nearly half of global coal plants will run at a loss this year, according to research published Wednesday. China has over ...

Tokyo and other major cities in Japan were unusually quiet on Wednesday with many stores closed and fewer people out and about a day after a state of emergency was declared over the COVID-19 outbreak. Aside from supermarkets, drugstores and others providing critical services, many ...

The new coronavirus isn't biased about who it infects — so why does data emerging from some states suggest that African Americans are bearing the brunt of the pandemic in the U.S.? Experts say blacks are disproportionately impacted by underlying health conditions linked to poverty, ...

A health ministry team estimates it will take about a month to bring the outbreak under control in Japan — if people reduce person-to-person contact by 80 percent.

As the coronavirus pandemic sparks global lockdowns, life has continued comparatively unhindered in places like Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong after their governments and citizens took decisive early action against the unfolding crisis. At first glance, Taiwan looks like an ideal candidate for the ...

Japan saw its biggest current account surplus in nearly two years in February as goods imports plummeted due to coronavirus-related factory closures in China, government data showed Wednesday. The current account was ¥3.17 trillion ($29 billion) in the black, the third-largest figure on record and ...

Prime Minister Boris Johnson remained in intensive care while his deputy tried to reassure Britain that the battle against the coronavirus was under control even as the daily death toll rose to a record. The U.K. is headed into its peak of the outbreak and ...

Rakuten Inc.'s mobile phone unit on Wednesday launched its full-scale mobile phone service with drastically reduced charges in Japan, fueling speculation that the new operator would intensify the price battle with its bigger rivals. Rakuten Mobile Inc. introduced the single fee plan that charges ¥2,980 ...

Coronavirus anxiety is real. With restrictions tied to the coronavirus outbreak leaving millions confined to their homes, even those who call themselves introverts are feeling the effects of quarantine on the body and mind. Does someone feeling edgy, constantly or obsessively checking news updates, losing sleep, ...

A WeWork board committee that negotiated a $3 billion (¥326.4 billion) tender offer with SoftBank Group sued the conglomerate Tuesday for abandoning the deal, accusing it of succumbing to "buyer's remorse" amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. The tender offer was part of a $9.6 billion ...

The Japanese business world is in full support behind Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's declaration of a state of emergency over the new coronavirus outbreak. "The government has made a big decision, and we take it seriously," Hiroaki Nakanishi, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, or ...

The government has decided to allow school playgrounds to be open during the emergency school shutdown amid the coronavirus epidemic, so children can ease stress built up from having to stay at home, it was learned Tuesday. The decision was reflected in the education ministry's ...

China is trying to put its stamp on “standard setting,” a little understood and even less appreciated dimension of international engagement.

When Chinese entrepreneurs found themselves in an existential crisis, the philosophy of Kazuo Inamori provided much-needed answers.

A G20 task force and a donors conference are needed to raise and coordinate support to fight the pandemic.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Tuesday night announcement of a state of emergency marked the latest and most dramatic step in Japan’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergency declaration covering seven prefectures, which will last through May 6, is also a fresh setback for the ...

The Osaka Evessa announced Tuesday that three more of their players have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of infected players and team officials to eight. The Evessa became the first B. League club to suffer infections by the coronavirus on April 2 ...

British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has proposed a series "decider" between the All Blacks and his composite team when the coronavirus crisis is over. Gatland oversaw the Lions' 2017 tour to New Zealand, when a 15-15 deadlock at Eden Park meant the three-Test ...

The Japan Sport Council said Wednesday it will close two major Olympic training facilities in response to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's declaration of a state of emergency, to curb the spread of COVID-19. Athletes will be unable to use the National Training Center and Japan ...

It has been 22 years since Katsunari Takayama first picked up boxing gloves. But the burning passion is still there. The 36-year-old Takayama retired as a professional boxer in 2017 to focus on competing at the Tokyo Olympics, an ambition that went unrealized after he ...

Like many other organizations in Japan, professional baseball is adjusting to the state of emergency declared Tuesday by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The declaration covers seven prefectures, including Tokyo, and will be in effect until at least May ...