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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday denied a Jiji Press report that his Liberal Democratic Party is considering adding the Democratic Party for the People to its ruling coalition with Komeito.

The Diet, Japan's parliament, enacted legislation Friday to take steps to prepare for future pandemics, including establishing a new rule obliging major hospitals to offer beds.

Japan's ruling parties Friday agreed to allow the country to possess counterstrike capabilities, chiefly designed to attack enemy missile bases, as part of efforts to strengthen the country's defenses.

Japanese author Issei Sagawa, known for his act of cannibalism in Paris, died of pneumonia at a Tokyo hospital Nov. 24. He was 73.

Tokyo confirmed 11,244 new COVID-19 cases Friday, a decrease of some 1,700 from a week before and the first week-on-week decline in eight days.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, also president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, raised the most political funds among leaders of the country's seven major political parties in 2021, according to their funds reports.