Apr 30 (Japan Times) - Train stations and tourist spots were largely quiet in Tokyo and elsewhere under Japan’s third coronavirus state of emergency as the Golden Week holiday period began Thursday.
At Tokyo Station, only a few passengers were seen on platforms of the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train line, unlike during the Golden Week period before the COVID-19 outbreak.
Occupancy rates for nonreserved seats on Shinkansen trains that departed the station by 10 a.m. reached only 60% at the highest and fell below 10% in some cases, according to the Shinkansen operator, Central Japan Railway Co., or JR Central.
The state of emergency is set to continue until May 11 in Tokyo and Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo prefectures.
In Kyoto, many tourist spots were quiet. Most of the restaurants and souvenir shops were closed near Kiyomizu Temple.
