By , PYEONGCHANG, South Korea/TOKYO (Reuters) - The Japanese government reacted angrily on Tuesday to a statue in South Korea that appears to depict Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, kneeling and bowing to a seated “comfort woman,” a euphemism for women forced to work in Japan’s wartime brothels.Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said if reports of the statue on display were true, it would be an “unforgivable” breach of international protocol.“If the reports are accurate, then there would be a decisive impact on Japan-Korea relations,” Suga told a news conference in...…By , PYEONGCHANG, South Korea/TOKYO (Reuters) - The Japanese government reacted angrily on Tuesday to a statue in South Korea that appears to depict Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, kneeling and bowing to a seated “comfort woman,” a euphemism for women forced to work in Japan’s wartime brothels.Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said if reports of the statue on display were true, it would be an “unforgivable” breach of international protocol.“If the reports are accurate, then there would be a decisive impact on Japan-Korea relations,” Suga told a news conference in...WW…

By , TOKYO (Reuters) - More than 30 crew members on an Italian cruise ship docked for repairs in Japan’s Nagasaki prefecture have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising concern about the impact on the local community.The cluster of infections found on board the Costa Atlantica follows the case of the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama two months ago, where more than 700 were found to be infected, although this time only crew members were on board.The vessel has 623 crew, and after detecting one had been infected tests were carried out on close contacts among fellow crew...…By , TOKYO (Reuters) - More than 30 crew members on an Italian cruise ship docked for repairs in Japan’s Nagasaki prefecture have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising concern about the impact on the local community.The cluster of infections found on board the Costa Atlantica follows the case of the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama two months ago, where more than 700 were found to be infected, although this time only crew members were on board.The vessel has 623 crew, and after detecting one had been infected tests were carried out on close contacts among fellow crew...WW…

By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Nearly 50 out of over 600 crew members on an Italian cruise ship docked for repairs in Japan’s Nagasaki have tested positive for the coronavirus, raising concern about the strain on the city’s hospitals if conditions worsen for those infected.So far, 127 people have been tested, and the infection rate is 38 percent.The latest tests showed on Thursday that 14 people aboard, all either cooks or those serving food, were infected with the virus, an official in Nagasaki prefecture said. One patient who had been taken to hospital previously was now in serious condition and...…By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Nearly 50 out of over 600 crew members on an Italian cruise ship docked for repairs in Japan’s Nagasaki have tested positive for the coronavirus, raising concern about the strain on the city’s hospitals if conditions worsen for those infected.So far, 127 people have been tested, and the infection rate is 38 percent.The latest tests showed on Thursday that 14 people aboard, all either cooks or those serving food, were infected with the virus, an official in Nagasaki prefecture said. One patient who had been taken to hospital previously was now in serious condition and...WW…

Men wearing face masks watch as giant Olympic rings, which were temporarily taken down in August for maintenance amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, are transported for reinstallation at the waterfront area at Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo, Japan December 1, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comFUKUSHIMA, March 25 (Reuters) - Thirsty Tokyo residents are about to get a bit of a break just as the summer heat arrives with authorities in the Japanese capital preparing to relax a ban on alcohol in restaurants and bars when it...…Men wearing face masks watch as giant Olympic rings, which were temporarily taken down in August for maintenance amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, are transported for reinstallation at the waterfront area at Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo, Japan December 1, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comFUKUSHIMA, March 25 (Reuters) - Thirsty Tokyo residents are about to get a bit of a break just as the summer heat arrives with authorities in the Japanese capital preparing to relax a ban on alcohol in restaurants and bars when it...WW…

By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will lift the coronavirus state of emergency in the Tokyo area on Sunday, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said, while the capital’s governor warned citizens not to let down their guard.Suga said the availability of hospital beds had improved in Tokyo and its three neighbouring prefectures, where restrictions have remained since early January.“Following these developments, we’ve decided to lift the state of emergency in Tokyo and Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures as of March 21,” said Suga.While under pressure to bring COVID-19 under control ahead of the...…By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will lift the coronavirus state of emergency in the Tokyo area on Sunday, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said, while the capital’s governor warned citizens not to let down their guard.Suga said the availability of hospital beds had improved in Tokyo and its three neighbouring prefectures, where restrictions have remained since early January.“Following these developments, we’ve decided to lift the state of emergency in Tokyo and Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures as of March 21,” said Suga.While under pressure to bring COVID-19 under control ahead of the...WW…

By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, long seen as a homogeneous redoubt of elderly men, now wants more women at its key meetings - provided they don’t do the talking.The party, in power for most of the time since 1955, has proposed allowing five female lawmakers to join its board meetings as observers in a response to criticism that its board is dominated by men.Two of the party’s 12-member board are women, while only three of its 25-member general council are women.The proposal comes after sexist comments from former Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori, himself an...…By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, long seen as a homogeneous redoubt of elderly men, now wants more women at its key meetings - provided they don’t do the talking.The party, in power for most of the time since 1955, has proposed allowing five female lawmakers to join its board meetings as observers in a response to criticism that its board is dominated by men.Two of the party’s 12-member board are women, while only three of its 25-member general council are women.The proposal comes after sexist comments from former Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori, himself an...WW…

By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, long seen as a homogeneous redoubt of elderly men, now wants more women at its key meetings - provided they don’t do the talking.The party, in power for most of the time since 1955, has proposed allowing five female lawmakers to join its board meetings as observers in a response to criticism that its board is dominated by men.Two of the party’s 12-member board are women, while only three of its 25-member general council are women.The proposal comes after sexist comments from former Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori, himself an...…By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, long seen as a homogeneous redoubt of elderly men, now wants more women at its key meetings - provided they don’t do the talking.The party, in power for most of the time since 1955, has proposed allowing five female lawmakers to join its board meetings as observers in a response to criticism that its board is dominated by men.Two of the party’s 12-member board are women, while only three of its 25-member general council are women.The proposal comes after sexist comments from former Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori, himself an...WW…

By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan declared a limited state of emergency in the capital, Tokyo, and three neighbouring prefectures on Thursday to stem the spread of the coronavirus, resisting calls from some medics for wider curbs due to the economic damage they would cause.The government said the one-month emergency would run from Friday to Feb. 7 in Tokyo and Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures, covering about 30% of the country’s population. Restrictions would centre on combating transmission in bars and restaurants, which the government says are main risk areas.The curbs are narrower in...…By , TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan declared a limited state of emergency in the capital, Tokyo, and three neighbouring prefectures on Thursday to stem the spread of the coronavirus, resisting calls from some medics for wider curbs due to the economic damage they would cause.The government said the one-month emergency would run from Friday to Feb. 7 in Tokyo and Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba prefectures, covering about 30% of the country’s population. Restrictions would centre on combating transmission in bars and restaurants, which the government says are main risk areas.The curbs are narrower in...WW…