Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga again said that the central government is not considering declaring a state of emergency.

Remarks by the government's top spokesman came before Tokyo confirmed 67 COVID-19 cases — the highest daily figure since 87 were reported on May 4.

The new approach will continue to reference case numbers but will shift the emphasis to the city’s health care system.

Tokyo deploys harsh diplomatic language to stress that move "undermines the credibility" of the “one-country, two-systems” principle.

The study, published in the CDC's journal, says closed, crowded environments with close contact and poor ventilation are driving the formation of cluster infections.

Public prosecutors on the same day arrested Katsuyuki Kawai and his lawmaker wife, Anri Kawai, over vote-buying.

The arrest is a severe blow to the Abe administration, especially because of Katsuyuki Kawai’s closeness to the prime minister and chief cabinet secretary.

With Trump distracted by domestic issues, Abe may have judged the timing as ripe for halting the U.S.-made missile system without facing too much of a backlash.

Failure to shore up his support could hamper the prime minister's ability to call a snap Lower House election and advance his dream of constitutional amendment.

When it comes to increasingly fraught ties between Washington and Beijing, Tokyo is facing a “be careful what you wish for” moment.