People wearing face masks for protection against the coronavirus walk in Tokyo's Shibuya area on Sept. 28, 2021. The Japanese government formally decided the same day to lift the COVID-19 state of emergency covering Tokyo, Osaka and 17 other prefectures, as infections have declined from their peak. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Japanese Emperor Naruhito is projected on a screen during the opening ceremony of the World Conference on Earthquake Engineering in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Sept. 28, 2021. The emperor attended the ceremony remotely from the Imperial Palace in Tokyo amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
