Japan passed the grim benchmark of 50,000 deaths from COVID-19 on Dec. 1 amid a grim warning that more fatalities could be coming during the eighth wave of infections this winter.
Crown Prince Fumihito, who turned 57 on Nov. 30, expressed support for information from the imperial family to be disseminated in a more timely and open manner to the public, possibly even on social media.
A flower-offering site opened early in Tokyo on Sept. 27 for the long line of people hoping to pay their respects to slain former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.