Here are the latest updates from Japan and beyond on the coronavirus outbreak:
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 1 (Japan time)
- A biotechnology venture in Japan said Thursday it started research and development of a peptide vaccine against the coronavirus and has completed a patent application filing.
- Tokyo became part of the government's domestic travel subsidy program on Thursday, as the amount of assistance offered to travelers amid the coronavirus pandemic was increased to cover up to half of the entire costs.
- More than 600 million trips may be made in China for the eight-day holiday that started Thursday, the country's biggest online travel agency said, underscoring that the new coronavirus has been brought under control at home.
- Business sentiment among major Japanese manufacturers improved in September for the first time since December 2017, or in 11 quarters, after dropping to an 11-year low in the last survey due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey showed Thursday.
As of 11 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 30 (Japan time)
- The Japan Karatedo Federation has revised its guidelines to allow the use of "kiai" shouts in the kumite sparring discipline if competitors wear a protective face shield as a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
- Tokyo confirmed 4,921 cases of the novel coronavirus in September, down from a record 8,126 infections in the previous month, the metropolitan government said Wednesday.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - September 19~25
Useful resources for foreign residents and visitors in Japan
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Tokyo Coronavirus Support Center for Foreign Residents (TOCOS)" multilingual hotline
- Available in Simple Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepali, Indonesian, Tagalog, Thai, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Khmer, and Burmese, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays except national holidays.
0120-296-004 (toll free) - AMDA Medical Information Center's "Multilingual Consultation Service"
- Available in Simple Japanese and English, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Also available in Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese on designated weekdays. Check schedule here.
03-6233-9266 - Tokyo Metropolitan Government's COVID-19 info
https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/flow/ - Tokyo Metropolitan Government hotline
- Available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
0570-550571
- Available via fax for those with hearing impairments
03-5388-1396 - Japan National Tourism Organization's "Guide for when you are feeling ill"
- Multilingual clinic/hospital search available in English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese
https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/eng/mi_guide.html - JNTO's "Japan Visitor Hotline"
- Available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese 24 hours a day
050-3816-2787
+81-50-3816-2787 (from overseas)
http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/content/001328767.pdf - Japan's health ministry hotline
- Available in Japanese only, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
0120-565653 - World Health Organization's "Q&A on coronaviruses"
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses