An evacuation order issued for a town devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, has been partially lifted to allow for the operation of a railway along the pacific coast.

A gate installed near Yonomori Station in Tomioka Town was opened on Tuesday at 6 a.m.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says his government will secure funds necessary to implement reconstruction projects in areas affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Abe made the remark on Tuesday, at a joint meeting between the reconstruction taskforce and the nuclear disaster taskforce. His instruction comes one day before the ninth anniversary of the disaster in northeastern Japan.

Japan's nuclear regulator says radiation levels around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have decreased to about a quarter of 2011 levels.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority says radiation levels recorded last September fell by about 78 percent compared to levels recorded in October 2011. Data was compiled in almost identical circumstances on both occasions.

NHK has learned the details of a second emergency package by the Japanese government to fund programs and enforce new regulations for containing the coronavirus outbreak.

Sources say one measure will provide funding to improve the availability of testing for the virus.

Japan's government has approved a bill which will enable the prime minister to declare a state of emergency over the new coronavirus if necessary.

The bill, approved at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, revises existing legislation which was enacted in 2012 to tackle a new type of influenza and other infectious diseases.

A Japanese government panel of experts plans to decide in about ten days whether to continue the current measures on fighting the new coronavirus.

Members of a panel of experts met on Monday to review the measures currently in place nationwide based on analysis on their effectiveness. The measures call for cancellations of large-scale events and the temporary closures of schools.

A panel of experts reviewing Japan's anti-coronavirus measures says the country has kept the outbreak under control to a certain extent.

The government panel revealed its opinion on Monday. Two weeks ago it said Japan was at a crossroads, as far as the containment of the virus was concerned.

Japan is set to deny entry to visitors from northern parts of Italy. The Italian areas have been virtually locked down, amid efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The Japanese government is preparing to add northern areas of Italy to the coronavirus travel ban list. People visiting from regions on the list have been barred from entering Japan.

Travelers arriving to Japan from two neighboring countries are now facing stricter controls. The tight restrictions are part of the government's efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus... but they've left some passengers confused.

Flights arriving from China and South Korea can now only land at two airports - one near Tokyo or another in Osaka.

Japanese prosecutors have questioned Upper House member Anri Kawai and her husband, Lower House member Katsuyuki Kawai, in connection with alleged election law violations.

Three aides to the two lawmakers of the governing Liberal Democratic Party were arrested earlier this month. They are alleged to have paid Anri Kawai's 14 campaign staff members more than the legal limit during her campaign for last year's Upper House election.

NHK's latest opinion poll puts the approval rating for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet at 43 percent. The figure is down by two points from last month.

The disapproval rating rose four points to 41 percent.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the government will implement a number of economic and fiscal policies to prop up the nation's economy.

He said they include the steady implementation of comprehensive stimulus measures worth 26 trillion yen, or about 250 billion dollars.

A Japanese government survey shows that business sentiment among workers sharply dropped in February due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus.

The Cabinet Office on Monday released the results of the monthly Economy Watchers Survey. It questioned more than 2,000 workers, including shop clerks and taxi drivers, about how they feel about the economy.

A local politician in Japan has apologized for selling thousands of face masks via online auctions at a time when they are in short supply due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Hiroyuki Morota, a member of the Shizuoka prefectural assembly, offered the apology at a news conference on Monday.