The Japanese government has officially decided to lift an evacuation order on June 12 for part of a "difficult-to-return" zone in Fukushima Prefecture that was set up after the 2011 nuclear accident.

Twenty percent of Katsurao Village near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the northeastern prefecture was designated as a "difficult-to-return" zone due to high radiation levels after the accident.

University researchers have teamed up with businesses and city officials south of Tokyo to launch a new recycling project. They're set to open a facility in Kamakura, in Kanagawa Prefecture, where they'll turn discarded plastic items into new products.

A machine starts the process by breaking down plastic into tiny pieces, which are then melted. A 3D printer uses the resulting material to build new objects.

A university in Tokyo and a tech firm have developed an online medical examination system that enables doctors to see patients using 3D images.

Juntendo University demonstrated the system on Friday.

The Japanese government is preparing a bill that will establish a comprehensive database of copyrighted material. The aim is to enable individuals and businesses to use music, video and other content more easily.

The draft bill says the government recognizes the need to simplify and speed up copyright procedures as digitalization has facilitated creative content on the Internet.

Japan's law enforcement authorities have identified a number of suspected fraud cases related to a government relief subsidy for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police say that as of April 30, they identified 3,655 people nationwide who they suspect were involved in fraud, including making false claims about eligibility for the program. Tax accountants, tax office workers and other people with specialized knowledge were among them.

A Japanese government survey has shown that about 14 percent of people who had moderate or serious COVID-19 were suffering from aftereffects even a year later.

A team led by Kochi University Professor Yokoyama Akihito reported its survey results to a health ministry panel on Wednesday.

A panel of financial institutions and investors says Russia has effectively defaulted on its bonds.

Market sources say the impact on Japan's financial system is likely limited, although the country's major lenders have exposure due to their Russia-related loans.

A group of Japanese citizens including atomic bomb survivors, academics and NGO members has drawn up a proposal calling for international support for victims of nuclear weapons and testing.

The group said it will present the proposal at the first meeting of signatories to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons opening on June 21 in the Austrian capital Vienna.

The governor of a prefecture in western Japan has made clear his intention to agree to the restart of a reactor at a nuclear power plant in the prefectural capital.

Shimane Governor Maruyama Tatsuya told a prefectural assembly meeting on Thursday that he would give the nod to bringing back online the No.2 reactor at the Shimane plant in Matsue City.

Japan Airlines is offering members of the public a realistic pilot experience in an effort to get more people interested in flying.

The program allows participants to operate a cockpit flight simulator at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. The simulator is 7 meters high and 5 meters wide and is usually used by pilots for training or trials.

Tokyo's largest food market has resumed public viewing of its early-morning tuna auctions after five months.

Toyosu market's special observation deck reopened on Thursday, following a recent decline in coronavirus infections. It had been closed since January 11.

Tokyo police have arrested a tax bureau official and six others on suspicion of fraud for illegally receiving government subsidies for businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

They include 24-year-old Tsukamoto Kohei, an employee at the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau, his former colleague and a former securities firm employee. They are all in their 20s.

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to work together to help countries that are facing food and energy problems.

The two leaders talked by phone for about 20 minutes on Wednesday.

US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel has stressed the necessity for Washington and Tokyo to strengthen ties, saying the bilateral relations are at a "critical juncture" now.

Emanuel on Wednesday delivered a speech at an event in Tokyo hosted by an organization promoting Japan-US relations. Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo attended.