National Jan 7, 2022
Over 200 in Tokyo sent to hospitals after falling due to snow and ice
Police also said 77 traffic accidents resulting in injuries had occurred in the capital due to the snow as of Friday morning.
National Oct 20, 2021
Tokyo region to ease COVID-19 restrictions on bars and restaurants
Some 67% of Japan's population is now fully vaccinated, and the government is planning to roll out booster shots this winter.
National Oct 11, 2021
Fire shuts down JR trains in Tokyo area, affecting 236,000 people
A fire at a major substation facility near Tokyo run by East Japan Railway Co. caused a power outage on Sunday, forcing the operator to temporarily suspend train services on a number of lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area and affecting around 236,000 people, ...
National Oct 8, 2021
Quake disrupts Tokyo traffic after commuters stranded overnight
The last time a quake measuring upper 5 or more was registered in Tokyo's 23 wards was on March 11, 2011, when a magnitude 9.0 quake devastated northeastern Japan.
National Aug 15, 2021
Across the country, serious cases grew by 42 from Saturday to 1,563, while 10 new deaths were reported.
National Aug 13, 2021
Tokyo area COVID-19 outbreak exacerbated by medical staff shortages
by Ryusei Takahashi
The Tokyo government has prepared 6,240 rooms across 16 empty hotels for nonsevere patients, but only about 1,800 can be utilized with the staff currently on hand.
National Aug 13, 2021
COVID-19 tracker: Nationwide daily tally tops 20,000 for the first time
Japan's number of severely ill COVID-19 patients hit a record 1,478, rising 74 from the day before.
National Aug 12, 2021
Tokyo's hospitals under strain as latest COVID-19 wave hits older people harder
by Ryusei Takahashi
Infectious disease experts advising the capital said Thursday that numbers of severely ill patients are rising fast, and that maintaining the health system will soon become difficult.
National Aug 2, 2021
Japan expands COVID-19 state of emergency to Osaka and areas around Tokyo
The government of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has added Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama and Osaka prefectures to areas under the emergency from Monday through Aug. 31.
National Jul 30, 2021
Japan's emergency expanded even as measure loses impact and support
by Satoshi Sugiyama and Ryusei Takahashi
With the latest measure, the Suga administration, well aware of the public’s virus fatigue, wants to buy time to vaccinate as many people as possible to push cases downwards.
National Jul 29, 2021
Japan prepares to expand state of emergency as infections surpass 10,000
by Ryusei Takahashi
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to announce Friday evening that the measure will be widened to Osaka, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures.
National Jul 28, 2021
Prefectures near Tokyo to seek COVID-19 state of emergency
by Linda Sieg
Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures are currently under looser quasi-emergency restrictions but are seeing infections spike like in the capital.