Apr 27 (Japan Times) - Pedestrian traffic dropped between 50 and 80 percent in major urban areas over the weekend as the central government continues to weigh an extension of its nationwide state of emergency declaration.
According to data gathered by NTT Docomo Inc., urban foot traffic on Sunday afternoon across the 47 prefectures was 50 to 80 percent lower compared with figures from those areas in January and February.
Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward saw a 78 percent drop in pedestrian traffic, while areas surrounding Yokohama, Kyoto and Nagoya stations saw drops of more than 70 percent, the data showed.
This week marks the unofficial beginning of Golden Week, one of the country’s busiest holiday seasons along with Bon in August and New Year’s.
Bullet trains that are normally packed at this time of the year were nearly deserted over the weekend. Train operators reported that many shinkansen leaving Tokyo Station on Saturday were 90 percent empty.
In the capital, just a smattering of people could be seen passing through Shibuya’s famed scramble crossing Friday night, when it is almost always inundated by chaotic crowds. The same could be seen Sunday in the Harajuku area’s trendy Takeshita-dori shopping street, a popular destination for the city’s youth.
While some parts of Tokyo have been noticeably quieter since the initial declaration on April 7, others remain relatively crowded. On Sunday, most likely owing to the nice weather, Yoyogi Park was bustling with visitors playing sports, walking with their partners or picnicking on the grass.
The central government is slated to announce during Golden Week whether it will extend the emergency declaration beyond its current May 6 deadline, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to make the decision based on coronavirus infections reported during the holidays.
Despite significant declines in the public’s movements, results are still falling short of the government’s goal to reduce human contact by 80 percent to halt the spread of the virus.
