Education Feb 27 Japan to close schools nationwide to control spread of virus Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asked all elementary, middle and high schools to remain shut until spring holidays begin in late March.
Health Feb 24 Japan health officials say coronavirus ship quarantine was not perfect More than 690 people were sickened on the ship and three died. The number of cases in Japan outside of the ship is continuing to rise, and experts say the country is now at a critical juncture. …
World Feb 19 Passengers begin leaving cruise ship after virus quarantine ends Many foreign governments say they won't let passengers from the ship return unless they go through another quarantine period, so it was striking to see passengers disembark, get into taxis and disappear into Yokohama, where the ship is docked.
Health Feb 16 Americans in Japan to trade one quarantine for another TOKYO — Americans Cheryl and Paul Molesky are trading one coronavirus quarantine for another. The couple from Syracuse, New York, are cutting short a 14-day quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in the port of Yokohama, near Tokyo, to…
World Feb 14 No ‘Plan B’ for Olympics despite novel coronavirus fears The coronavirus has infected almost 64,000 people globally with almost 1,400 deaths in China, but only one in Japan where fear is rising with so much attention focused on the outbreak.
World Feb 13 Japan reports 1st death from novel coronavirus, 44 more cases on ship Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the first fatality is a woman in her 80s who had been hospitalized since Feb. 1 when she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Nation Dec 25 Time and cost of relocation of U.S. base in Okinawa to double The Defense Ministry said the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from densely populated Ginowan to Henoko on Okinawa's eastern coast will cost 930 billion yen ($8.5 billion) and take 12 years, pushing its completion into the 2030s.
World Nov 23 Pope denounces ‘evil’ of nukes as he fulfills Japan dream Pope Francis denounced the “evil” of nuclear weapons on Saturday as he began a three-day visit to Japan and fulfilled a dream to be a missionary in a land with a rich but bloody Christian past.
World Nov 10 More than 100,000 greet Japan’s emperor at enthronement parade Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako waved and smiled from an open car in a parade Sunday marking Naruhito’s enthronement as more than 100,000 delighted well-wishers cheered, waved small flags and took photos from packed sidewalks.
World Jul 21 Japan’s ruling coalition secures upper house majority Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling coalition secured a majority in Japan’s upper house of parliament in elections Sunday, with exit polls indicating Abe could have secure enough of a super-majority needed to propose constitutional revisions.