The Latest Breaking News from The Japan News/Yomiuri

Samurai Blue midfielder Ao Tanaka, 24, is a man of iron in the soccer world, as he incorporated Nambu Tekki ironware into his conditioning.

The government will seek to decide by the end of March whether to lower the official classification of COVID-19, which would change how the virus is handled, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has confirmed in a meeting with health minister Katsunobu Kato and economic revitalization minister Shigeyuki Goto.

The rights to operate the National Stadium for 30 years are to be sold to private entities by fiscal 2024, the Sports Agency said Wednesday.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to rebuild his administration following the dismissal of Reconstruction Minister Kenya Akiba, now that a major distraction has been removed before the start of the ordinary Diet session in January.

Hajime Moriyasu, who led the national soccer team to its second consecutive top-16 World Cup finish in Qatar, will continue in the role, the Japan Football Association (JFA) announced Wednesday.

A leadership grab appears to have kicked off in the largest faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, involving LDP Policy Research Council chair Koichi Hagiuda and LDP House of Councillors Secretary General Hiroshige Seko.

An outline of the operational and safety systems for so-called flying cars has been released by the transport ministry, covering the establishment of a pilot licensing system and the introduction of black boxes to record flight data.

The government has decided to test all those entering Japan from mainland China for the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday.

The Defense Ministry is considering deploying a surface-to-air guided missile unit on a Ground Self-Defense Force camp on Yonaguni in Okinawa Prefecture, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.