People step out for first weekend after Japan partially lifts virus emergency

May 18, 2020 | News On Japan

May 18, 2020 (Japan Times) - Japan experienced its first weekend after the state of emergency was lifted in 39 prefectures, where restaurants and shopping streets enjoyed a semblance of normalcy for the first time in about a month.

While many people joyously headed out to hit downtown streets and bars, others confessed that their spirits were not fully lifted yet, sobered by the prospect that a full-fledged return to the pre-COVID way of life still seemed a long way off.

The state of emergency was lifted even in some of the 13 prefectures designated as needing special vigilance, including Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Gifu, Aichi and Fukuoka.

At Megusuta, a bar in the city of Fukuoka, customers were seen sipping drinks while making sure to keep their distance from each other.

â€œIâ€™ve been able to drink outside home for the first time in a month. Iâ€™ve been looking forward to the state of emergency being lifted,â€ said a jovial Akiko Kimura, 35, as she guzzled a lemon sour cocktail. She was visiting the bar with her husband.

But the place was nowhere near as full as it had been before the coronavirus wave engulfed the nation. Store owner Kosuke Miyabe, 37, said he is making sure that no more than three customers will share the same table, as well as placing a cap on the number of those allowed inside.

Japan to Abolish Cool Japan Fund

Japan's government is moving toward abolishing the Cool Japan Fund, a public-private investment vehicle created to support the overseas expansion of Japanese anime, food culture and other industries, after its cumulative losses reached 54 billion yen.

Four Workers Killed After Being Struck by Spacia X Train in Tochigi

Four workers were killed after being struck by the limited express train Spacia X while carrying out vegetation-clearing work at Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, on August 20, prompting an investigation by the Japan Transport Safety Board.

Typhoon No. 18 Forecast to Intensify Over Weekend

Typhoon No. 18 (Soudelor) is forecast to intensify into a "very strong" typhoon over the weekend as it moves westward from waters near the Caroline Islands, with the storm potentially approaching the Nansei Islands and Daito Islands early next week. As of 4 p.m. on August 20, the typhoon was located far south of Japan and was moving west at about 20 kilometers per hour.

Shikoku Shinkansen Plan Revived After 53 Years

Plans to bring Shinkansen service to Shikoku have taken a significant step forward for the first time in 53 years, with the transport ministry beginning preliminary studies that could eventually cut travel times from Osaka to major cities including Tokushima, Takamatsu and Matsuyama to around 90 minutes.

Expo Construction Chief Accused of Inflating Invoices

A Takenaka Corp. construction manager who oversaw work on the Grand Ring and other facilities at the Osaka-Kansai Expo was arrested on August 19 on suspicion of causing more than 13 million yen in losses to the major contractor through inflated construction bills, with police investigating allegations that money from the scheme was used for renovations to his home and a cafe operated by relatives.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Questions Raised Over Police Interrogations After 16-Year-Old Girl's Death

A 16-year-old girl who repeatedly insisted she was innocent died months after an 18-day detention and interrogation left her suffering from an eating disorder and severe psychological trauma, while other people have come forward alleging troubling investigative practices by the same police station.

Japanese Man Poses as Foreigner in Convenience Store Robbery

A 32-year-old Japanese man has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to rob a convenience store in Oizumi, Gunma Prefecture, after allegedly posing as a foreigner and demanding money in broken Japanese while threatening the store manager with a knife.

Princess Aiko Arrives at Osaka Museum to View Girl With a Pearl Earring

Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, arrived at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka on the afternoon of August 20, where she was scheduled to view Johannes Vermeer's masterpiece Girl With a Pearl Earring during a two-day visit to Osaka and Shiga prefectures.

Firefighters Attacked by Swarm of Bees

Firefighters battling a house fire in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, on August 19 were forced to contend with large numbers of bees swarming around the scene after an attempt to burn a bee nest apparently set the roof ablaze.

Hair Entanglement from Handheld Fans Can Lead to Injury Claims

Handheld fans have become a summer essential in Japan, but a rise in accidents involving hair becoming caught in the devices is prompting warnings over injuries, potential legal liability and fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.

Tokyo Bus and Trailer Collide, Leaving Seven Injured

Seven people were injured after a Toei bus and a trailer collided in Tokyo's Koto Ward shortly after 6 p.m., leaving the bus mounted on a central median.

Tokyo to Resume Black Bear Hunting

Tokyo is preparing to allow hunting of Asian black bears for the first time in about 20 years, with a proposed hunting season from November through February and an annual capture target of around 34 animals in parts of the Tama region, including Hachioji.

Vandal Caught Smashing Iconic Lantern in Kyoto's Gion

Police are investigating after a custom-made chili pepper-shaped lantern worth more than 200,000 yen was smashed outside a restaurant in Kyoto's Gion district, with security camera footage capturing a person striking and destroying the shop's distinctive symbol.

< 2 3 4 5 >