TOKYO – Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has signed a contract with Pfizer Inc. to receive approximately 144 million doses of the drugmaker’s COVID-19 vaccine sufficient for 72 million people this year, Pfizer Japan announced on Wednesday.

TOKYO – The number of Filipino visitors to Japan numbered 109,100 last year, according to a preliminary data published by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), an 82.2 percent drop from 2019.

MANILA – The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested a total of 55 foreign fugitives in 2020, including 10 Japanese nationals, wanted for serious crimes in their home countries.

TOKYO – Japan plans to start vaccinating people against the novel coronavirus at the end of February.