As of 11 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13
- Finance chiefs of the Group of 20 major economies agreed Friday to forgive part of the debts owed by developing countries as a further step to support them in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will meet with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Monday in Tokyo, the government said Friday, as Japan prepares to host the postponed games next year amid the coronavirus pandemic.
- Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday denied the need to declare another state of emergency in Japan despite a recent rise in coronavirus cases, citing advice from experts.
- As the coronavirus pandemic rages and masks remain a daily necessity, an Osaka Prefecture plastic parts manufacturer has developed bands that stop ear discomfort caused by mask straps and donated them to various groups around the country.
Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - November 7 ~ 13
As of 11 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 12
- Japan on Thursday confirmed more than 1,600 new coronavirus cases, a record daily high since the outbreak of the virus early this year, amid signs of a resurgence in infections nationwide as the winter season approaches.
- Japan is planning to exempt foreign visitors for next summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics from its 14-day quarantine requirement if they are from countries or regions with relatively fewer novel coronavirus cases, a government panel said Thursday.
- Four ski jumping World Cup events scheduled for January and February in Sapporo next year have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers said Thursday.
- Japan is set to maintain restrictions on attendance at events such as professional sports games until the end of February as the head of the government's coronavirus response on Thursday warned of a worrying rise in infections.
- The leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations kicked off their annual summit Thursday, gathering virtually due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
- Japan Football Association President Kozo Tashima said Wednesday he will ask the government to relax coronavirus quarantine measures for players returning to the country from overseas.
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