Few people are seen in Osaka's Shinsekai area on Jan. 12, 2021, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told executives of his ruling party the same day that he plans to expand a state of emergency declared over the coronavirus pandemic to cover Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures amid a resurgence of infections in western Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Aichi Gov. Hideaki Omura (R) speaks at a press conference in Nagoya, Japan, on Jan. 12, 2021. Aichi and Gifu requested the central government the same day to include the two prefectures in the second coronavirus state of emergency that took effect in Tokyo and adjacent Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama prefectures the previous week. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
