National Apr 13, 2021

Government OKs discharge of Fukushima nuclear plant water into sea

Any release of treated water into the Pacific will be done in small quantities each time and carried out over a period of about 30 years.

National Apr 10, 2021

Japanese drug regulator to fast track any modified vaccines to fight variants

Vaccines targeting new variants of the coronavirus won't require domestic clinical trials if the production process and handling of the shots are similar to those of the original.

National Apr 7, 2021

Suga says time ripe to decide fate of treated Fukushima No.1 water

The prime minister is likely to call a Cabinet meeting on the fate of the water next Tuesday, local reports say, after meeting with national fisheries association chief.

National Apr 3, 2021

Vaccinations alone won't have major impact on fourth wave of virus in Tokyo, study shows

Even if 70,000 vaccinations per day were given to Tokyoites, the capital could still see a fourth wave of infections peaking at 1,610 new cases on May 14, the study showed.

Business / Economy | ANALYSIS Apr 2, 2021

When will Japan's economy return to pre-pandemic levels? Not soon, say economists.

Most say a full economic recovery is unlikely until well after the vaccination of the general public is underway.

Business / Corporate | FOCUS Mar 24, 2021

Line data scandal highlights perils of storing information across borders

Concerns over Japan’s national security have arisen because of the obligations of a Chinese affiliate under that country's National Intelligence Law.

National / Science & Health Mar 23, 2021

Japanese firms launch domestic clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines

Even as Daiichi Sankyo and KM Biologics begin work to prove their shots' efficacy and safety, the public is unlikely to have access to them until fiscal 2022 at the earliest.

National Mar 22, 2021

Trials and transparency stand in way of Japan's acquisition of non-Western shots

With domestically developed vaccines some way off and regular inoculations a possibility, Japan may need to look to Russia and China to secure enough shots.

National Mar 9, 2021

Drugmakers in Japan struggle to keep pace in COVID-19 medicine race

No applications for drugs specifically tailored to COVID-19 have been filed yet, as domestic pharmaceutical companies have not invested heavily enough in biomedicine.

National | Remembering 3/11 Mar 9, 2021

With return to normalcy in sight, Fukushima fishermen fear release of nuclear plant water

Those in the industry worry that draining the water from the nuclear plant into the sea would hinder the recovery they have made in the years since the disaster.