May 03, 2020 (NHK) - Japan's state of emergency due to coronavirus outbreak continues to bring an unusual quiet to roads, transportation and tourist spots in the holiday period that began in late April.
On Saturday, the first day of the five-day consecutive holiday, popular destinations in Tokyo are almost deserted as people respond to calls to stay home.
Few passengers are riding bullet trains or planes to visit families or resorts. Tokyo's major rail hubs are quiet.
Japan Railway companies say occupancy of non-reserved bullet train seats through the morning was less than 20 percent. Many trains ran at less than 10 percent capacity.
The operators say many reserved seats remain vacant, with bookings through next Wednesday down 95 percent from the previous year.
Passenger numbers for air travel also plunged. All Nippon Airways says reservations for domestic flights are down by 94.5 percent from a year earlier. Japan Airlines reported a 90.5 percent decline.
Traffic on expressways is also thin. Unlike normal years when vehicles snake for dozens of kilometers, Japan Road Traffic Information Center says so far, there are no traffic jams.
Fashion and other stores stand shuttered along Takeshita-dori in Tokyo's Harajuku district, usually bustling with young people and tourists.
