Heavy rain continues to fall intermittently in Gifu and Nagano Prefectures, central Japan, and in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan. The earth had been loosened and dikes had been damaged in some areas, raising the risks of further floods and mudslides.
Weather officials say an active rain front and a low pressure system extending over the Sea of Japan are destabilizing atmospheric conditions from western Japan to the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan and causing rain clouds to develop.
Rainfall over the past 24 hours through Saturday evening topped 300 millimeters in Kumamoto Prefecture, while it reached nearly 250 millimeters in Nagano Prefecture and about 170 millimeters in Gifu Prefecture.
Officials have issued landslide warnings for some areas.
For the 24 hours through Sunday evening, weather officials are forecasting rain of up to 150 millimeters in northern Kyushu, 120 millimeters in the Tohoku region, and 100 millimeters in the Tokai and Kinki regions.
They are also warning of landslides, swollen rivers and flooding in low-lying areas.
Heavy rain may continue in both western and eastern Japan from Monday as the low pressure system approaches and the rain front moves north.
Jan 25

At least 15,058 people were on waiting lists for a hospital or a designated accommodations after testing positive for the novel coronavirus earlier this month in the 11 prefectures covered by a state of emergency, a Kyodo News survey found, as public health centers have been swamped with a surge in cases cases.
(Japan Times)
Jan 25

Data compiled by Japan's health ministry shows that the number of people self-isolating at home after testing positive for the coronavirus has been continuing to soar across the country.
(NHK)
Jan 25

A Japanese research team says the "Go To" travel campaign launched last July may have contributed to the spread of the coronavirus in its initial phase.
(NHK)
Jan 25

Kanagawa Prefectural Police have suspended a 27-year-old officer after he was accused of splashing his own bodily fluid on women last year, reports NHK
(tokyoreporter.com)
Jan 25

Automakers in Japan, where almost 30% of the population is 65 or older, are taking the lead on adapting cars so the nation's legions of elderly drivers can feel more confident -- and be safer -- behind the wheel.
(nwaonline.com)
Jan 25

The snow this winter on Japan’s ski runs and the powder on the off-piste is probably the best it has been in a decade.
(South China Morning Post)
Jan 25

Lower-ranking sumo wrestler Daieisho has won his first title in the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament that ended on Sunday in Tokyo.
(NHK)
Jan 25

Japan's three major telecoms -- NTT Docomo, KDDI and SoftBank -- are gearing up for a rate war in spring.
(Nikkei)
Jan 25

The death toll related to snow shoveling has reached 70 this winter, a Jiji Press tally showed.
(Japan Times)
Jan 25

Hiroshima Prefectural Police have arrested a male high school teacher for allegedly entering a women’s bath at a facility in Fukuyama City early Sunday, reports NHK
(tokyoreporter.com)
Jan 25

If you plan to fly into Tokyo, Haneda Airport is where you want to land. Sure, rival Narita Airport sometime gets called “Tokyo International Airport,” but it’s actually all the way out in Chiba Prefecture, while Haneda is the one truly located within Tokyo.
(Japan Today)
Jan 25

Japan's government has drafted a law revision to encourage more men to take paternity leave.
(NHK)
Jan 24

Weather officials are warning of more snow in the areas surrounding Tokyo, mainly in mountainous regions. But they say it is unlikely to accumulate in central Tokyo as the temperatures at high altitude did not dip as much as expected.
(NHK)
Jan 24

Japan is considering using its national ID system for its coronavirus vaccine rollout program, hoping to avoid the pitfalls and confusion that was created when the government dispersed economic aid earlier in the pandemic.
(Nikkei)
Jan 24

Japanese sumo wrestler Kotokantetsu was uneasy. Coronavirus was raging through Tokyo and ripping through the sumo wrestling fraternity, whose lives are controlled by trainers and handlers.
(washingtonpost.com)
Jan 24

Japan's COVID-19 death toll topped 5,000 with total cases surpassed 360,000 on Saturday as the country struggles to contain the resurgence of infections, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities.
(Xinhua)
Jan 24

Japan's space agency has allowed the media to see the first and second stages of the country's next mainstay H3 rocket.
(NHK)
Jan 24

The Tokyo Stock Exchange says it will allow Toshiba to return to the First Section of traded shares, starting on Friday next week.
(NHK)
Jan 24

Companies in Japan have not promoted teleworking much, despite a call by the government to reduce the number of workers in offices by 70% during the second coronavirus state of emergency, a survey by the Japan Productivity Center has shown.
(Japan Times)
Jan 24

An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 occurred late at night on Saturday 23 January 2021 at 10:12 pm local time near Iwaki, Iwaki-shi, Fukushima, Japan, as reported by NIED.
(JS Media)