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TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo Olympics fans may have to be vaccinated or test negative for the coronavirus before being allowed into venues, a Japanese newspaper report said Monday. Cheering, eating, high-fives and drinking alcohol would also be banned under controls now being considered, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily said, citing unnamed government officials. Organizers are set to decide in June how many spectators — if any — will be allowed to attend the pandemic-postponed Games. […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — More than 80 percent of Japanese polled oppose hosting the virus-postponed Olympics this year, a new survey showed on Monday, underlining public antipathy less than 10 weeks before the Tokyo Games. The latest downbeat poll comes after Japan expanded a coronavirus state of emergency Friday as the nation battles a fourth wave of infections. The surge in cases has put pressure on the country’s healthcare system, with medical professionals […]
by Natsuko FUKUE / Andrew MCKIRDY Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — This summer’s virus-postponed Olympics could be held behind closed doors, Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto told AFP on Friday, pledging to ensure the Games will be safe. Former Olympian Hashimoto said the Games could only be a success if organisers “completely protect” athletes and people in Japan, and that she is hopeful people will “be glad” the event went ahead. Overseas […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan extended a virus state of emergency in the Tokyo area by two weeks on Friday, less than five months before the pandemic-postponed Tokyo Olympics. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced the decision, which affects the capital and three nearby regions, and warned people against holding traditional spring picnics under cherry blossom trees. “I ask you all to refrain from eating in large groups — even at graduation ceremonies, enrollment ceremonies, welcome […]
by Kyoko HASEGAWA Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori is expected to resign Friday over a sexism row, but his apparently hand-picked successor — an 84-year-old sports administrator — is already coming under fire. Mori is expected to formally step down later Friday at a gathering called by Olympic organisers to address his claims last week that women talk too much in meetings. The comments sparked a firestorm […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s prime minister said he was “determined” to hold the Tokyo Olympics as organisers on Friday brushed off a report claiming officials think cancellation is inevitable. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s latest insistence that the postponed Games are on track comes after The Times cited an unnamed government source saying Japan has already shifted its focus to hosting in 2032. “I am determined to realise a safe and secure Tokyo Games […]
by Kang Jin-kyu Agence France Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — A South Korean court on Friday ordered the Japanese government to pay compensation to 12 World War II sex slaves or their families, in an unprecedented ruling that prompted an immediate denunciation by Tokyo. The Seoul Central District Court ruled that Japan should pay the victims 100 million won ($91,000) each. It is the first civilian legal case in South Korea against Tokyo […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Monday he was considering declaring a state of emergency in the greater Tokyo area over a “very severe” third wave of coronavirus infections. Speaking at a regular New Year press conference, Suga also said he hoped vaccinations would begin in Japan in late February, adding that he would be among the first to receive one. He urged people to avoid non-essential outings, and said […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Tokyo reported over 1,300 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, a daily record, as officials warned that a state of emergency might be needed to tackle spiking cases. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held emergency talks with ministers late Thursday but did not immediately outline plans for any new measures. “The trend is clearly increasing. I regard this as very serious,” Suga told reporters, as he urged people to wear masks, wash […]
by Shingo ITO Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s economy exited recession in the third quarter, growing a better-than-expected 5.0 percent, government data showed Monday, following a record contraction. A rise in domestic demand as well as exports helped drive the quarter-on-quarter growth, after the coronavirus pandemic and a consumption tax hike slammed the economy into reverse earlier in the year. The positive figures come after three quarters of contraction in the […]
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Japanese stocks edged up Friday as they reopened after being shut down all the previous day by a technical fault, though markets across Asia were mixed in holiday-thinned trade with investors keeping an eye on stimulus talks in Washington. After September’s sell-off, Wall Street got the new quarter off to a positive start as technology firms appeared to rediscover their mojo, helped by a dip in US jobless claims […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Eight babies and toddlers at a Tokyo care centre have tested positive for the coronavirus after a staff member contracted the disease, its operator said on Wednesday. Tokyo Saiseikai Central Hospital, which operates the facility, said the affected children had been hospitalised, while another 21 tested negative and were under observation. The facility is for orphans or children separated from their parents because of possible abuse or neglect. A staff member […]
