Tag - mhlw

 
 

MHLW

JAPAN
Jan 22, 2021
New panel to probe growing use of marijuana and stiffen draconian pot law
Under the Cannabis Control Law, owners and growers of the illicit plant already face up to seven years of imprisonment.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 18, 2020
Pfizer first drugmaker to seek COVID-19 vaccine approval in Japan
Officials said the approval would be made 'a top priority in the screening process' once the firm submits data from an ongoing clinical trial specific to Japan, expected in February.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2020
Tokyo test centers trade fax machines for computers with new coronavirus reporting system
It is hoped this will help the capital avoid faulty or delayed reporting moving forward, but whether it streamlines the process hinges on how fast the transition happens.
JAPAN
Jul 29, 2020
Japan dodged surge in total fatalities during peak virus month
Japan officially recorded 468 coronavirus-related fatalities in May, almost half its total to date of 1,001.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 28, 2020
As Japan reopens, coronavirus testing slowed by red tape and staff shortages
Health ministry technocrats wanted to maintain a tight grip on information rather than cooperate with private institutions, critics say.
JAPAN
May 1, 2020
Japan's fax-loving health ministry plans online reporting system for virus
The health ministry will introduce a system for public health centers to report coronavirus cases online instead of by hand-written faxes, phone or email — drawing praise from some but scorn from others wondering why it took so long.
JAPAN
Apr 14, 2020
Untraceable cases in Japan raise fear outbreak spiraling out of control
Experts from a government-appointed panel have said they were not able to verify where or when patients had contracted the virus in 40 percent of reported cases.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 9, 2020
Japanese ICUs understaffed and overlooked as coronavirus influx looms
The health ministry estimates that Tokyo could see up to 700 patients in need of intensive care every day once the epidemic reaches its peak.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2020
Japanese news conferences illustrate government's struggle to grasp social distancing
With the pandemic showing no signs of abating, government and ministry officials are scrambling to rectify the high-risk nature of their news conferences.
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2020
Japanese officials say Tokyo is at risk of an 'overshoot,' but what exactly does that mean?
Health ministry officials are using the term to refer to an explosive spike in coronavirus infections.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Mar 28, 2020
Winning the media battle against COVID-19
On March 12, the Sankei Shimbun ran an editorial urging the media to refrain from criticizing the government for its handling of the coronavirus emergency. The Sankei Shimbun was elaborating on a complaint made by former TV announcer Yoshiko Sakurai that the press was not properly instilling in the public...
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2020
Japan tightens border controls over COVID-19, but power to quarantine limited
A health ministry official confirms that under current law, the government can only request that people submit to a quarantine voluntarily.
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2020
Abe to hasten legal preparations for declaring state of emergency over COVID-19
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed Monday to expedite the enactment of legislation needed to declare a state of emergency, in order to "minimize the impact on Japanese citizens' livelihood" from the rapid spread of COVID-19.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2020
Limited virus testing in Japan masks true scale of infection
Japan is becoming a center of concern as the coronavirus spreads globally, with the country's official infection tally suspected to be the tip of the iceberg of a much wider outbreak.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2020
Hospitals in Japan refusing to test many who suspect they have COVID-19
Some medical institutions in Japan have been rejecting possible COVID-19 patients under the strict but ambiguous testing guidelines currently in place, leaving many patients shunted from hospital to hospital.
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2020
Coronavirus outbreak highlights need for independent CDC-style body in Japan
Experts say the agency taking point on the current health crisis lacks the administrative autonomy and power to take effective action.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 22, 2020
Japan can't run out the clock on coronavirus
Next month the Olympic torch will arrive in Japan for a four-month relay to launch the opening ceremonies for the Tokyo summer games. But rather than anticipating the sight of Olympic torchbearers, much of Japan is fixated on a different relay: hundreds of masked passengers grimly walking off the quarantined...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2020
A cold, hay fever or COVID-19? Japan's health guidelines raise questions
Experts have raised questions about asking the public to observe their symptoms at home closely before seeking a consultation.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2020
Diamond Princess ordeal ends for passengers who tested negative for COVID-19
The evacuation began Wednesday of a cruise ship quarantined after an outbreak of new coronavirus COVID-19, with several hundred passengers who had tested negative being allowed to leave the ship.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2020
Expert stirs controversy with video on 'inadequate' virus controls on Diamond Princess
Controversy was stirred among the public and at the Diet Wednesday, after an infectious disease expert posted a now-deleted video online in which he claimed to have seen inadequate anti-virus contamination measures on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji