Outbound travel from Sapporo and Osaka added to travel campaign curbs
Osaka Prefecture reported 383 new cases of the virus on Friday, a day after recording a high of 12 deaths, while Hokkaido recorded 252 and a record nine deaths.
Dolphinfish, sunfish and bluefin tuna have all been caught in waters around the north of Japan in recent years.
Sapporo and Osaka suspended as Go To Travel destinations
Residents of Sapporo and Osaka looking to travel elsewhere will continue to have access to discounts offered under the government-run campaign.
Top 5: The best soup curry restaurants in Tokyo
With temperatures dropping, what’s more comforting than soup curry? The Japan Times shares five of the capital’s best bowls.
Hospitals in Japan's hard-hit areas stretched amid COVID-19 surge
There is concern that a rising trend in the number of severely ill patients could overwhelm hospitals, health care facilities and intensive care units, delaying critical care.
Hokkaido mom gets nine years for starving daughter, 2, to death
The presiding judge criticized the defendant's act as "extremely irresponsible and malicious" as she went out for hours and left her daughter alone without feeding her.
Tokyo to raise alert as Japan sets daily record with 2,000-plus COVID-19 cases
The alert level was established to warn residents to exercise further caution but can also be used to signal the announcement of additional virus countermeasures.
Hokkaido raises alert level for Sapporo as virus surge continues
Move comes after the central government pledged to financially support shops and restaurants that are asked to shorten their business hours.
Hokkaido city calls in ‘Monster Wolf' to scare off wild bears
A mechanical wolf with fake fur, bared fangs and flashing red eyes is keeping residents and crops safe in the face of increasing encounters with bears.
Sapporo is expected to raise its alert for the pandemic to the fourth level, the second highest of the five on the prefecture's coronavirus scale.
Japan sounds alarm bells as coronavirus cases surge in Hokkaido
Officials warn the sharp rise in new infections in Japan's northernmost prefecture could be the beginning of an explosive surge across the country.
Experts have warned that the rising trend of infections in northern regions could be the result of people spending time in poorly ventilated rooms as temperatures drop.
