<Jan. 9, 2023>

• Japan will add travelers flying directly from Macau to rules on entries from China requiring they present a negative test before departure, the government said Monday, amid surging cases in China.

<Jan. 8, 2023>

• Sales of "yakitori" skewered grilled chicken at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan have been temporarily suspended due to a coronavirus outbreak among workers at the plant that supplies the venue's popular traditional snack, the Japan Sumo Association said.

• Japan's cumulative total of COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic exceeded 60,000 on Sunday, a tally showed, in the midst of the eighth wave of coronavirus infections.
  
  
• Japan further tightened border controls for travelers from mainland China on Sunday, requiring proof of testing negative for COVID-19 amid a surge of cases in the neighboring country.

<Jan. 6, 2023>

• Japan's cumulative total of coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic topped 30 million on Friday, official data showed, as the country grapples with an eighth wave of infections.
  
  
• The Chinese government said Friday it expects about 2.1 billion domestic journeys to be made in the country over a 40-day travel season that includes the weeklong Lunar New Year holidays beginning Jan. 21, amid fears the large-scale human migration could further spread COVID-19.
  
  
• Standing three steps apart on an escalator significantly reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection while it is safer to descend than ascend one, recent research by a team involving the Kyoto Institute of Technology showed.

<Jan. 5, 2023>

• Thailand will not impose stricter quarantine measures on arrivals from China, its government said Thursday, even as some countries such as Japan have moved to require them to undergo coronavirus testing upon arrival amid a surge in cases in China.
  
  
• A recent survey showed 15.5 percent of Japanese firms are planning to hire more university graduates in 2024 as new employees from the previous year, reflecting an increased willingness to hire amid a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
  
  
• A bluefin tuna fetched 36.04 million yen ($273,000) on Thursday at the New Year's auction at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market, more than double the top price last year, as the restaurant and food industries look to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

<Jan. 4, 2023>

• Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday that Japan will strengthen border control measures for travelers from China amid a recent surge in novel coronavirus cases in the neighboring country.
  
  
• Japan's central and local governments, alongside many businesses, marked the year's first day of work Wednesday as the country refrained from implementing travel restrictions despite a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases.

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Japan and beyond: Week in Photos - Dec. 31~Jan. 6

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Useful resources for foreign residents and visitors in Japan

• Health ministry call center 
  COVID-19: 0120-565-653 (toll free)
  COVID-19 Vaccines: 0120-761-770 (toll free)
  -Interpreters available for English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; for Thai 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; for Vietnamese 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 
  
  
• Health ministry's COVID-19 Vaccine Navigation website
  https://v-sys.mhlw.go.jp/en/
  
  
• 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/
  
  
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government hotline
  https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/contacts
  - Available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (including weekends and holidays)
  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"
  https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/hotline/
  - Available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese 24 hours a day
  050-3816-2787 
  +81-50-3816-2787 (from overseas)

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