Japan's agriculture ministry has urged poultry farms to step up measures against bird flu, as outbreaks have led to the destruction of a record-high almost 10 million chickens and other birds.
A researcher at a French think tank says shared views about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region have made Japan a valuable partner to France and Britain.
Firefighters in Tokyo have held their annual New Year's drill. They conducted the drill to prepare for a possible major quake, as this year marks the centennial of the magnitude-7.9 Great Kanto Earthquake.
A senior White House official says the United States is considering enhancing defense cooperation with Japan and South Korea amid North Korea's growing threats.
Holidaymakers and others who have spent the year-end and New Year period outside Japan are flying back in droves to a major airport near Tokyo. It was the first such extended holiday period since Japan drastically eased its border controls against the coronavirus.
Japan's space agency is set to begin the final screening of applicants in its latest astronaut recruitment. Those who pass the screening will go on to take part in an international lunar exploration project.
The Japanese government will consider recategorizing COVID-19 as an infectious disease on par with the seasonal flu. Doing so would allow authorities to ease the pandemic's impact on socioeconomic activities.
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