Restaurants, bars struggle to find way to survive with coronavirus

Aug 21, 2020 | News On Japan

Aug 21, 2020 (Japan Today) - Alcohol sanitizers and clinical thermometers have become two of the most critical must-have items for those working in the food-service industry in Japan as they struggle to recover from the impact of coronavirus.

Many restaurants and bars are asking customers to sanitize their hands when entering and using thermometers that give instant readings of body temperatures, both to prevent clusters of infections occurring and assure customers of safety.

However, customers are again decreasing this month as the country sees a resurgence in numbers of coronavirus-infected patients.

The call by the Tokyo metropolitan government for restaurants and bars to increase ventilation to lower the risk of airborne transmission has put Japanese Sake Bar Tonari in the capital's central Mita district in a difficult situation, since the bar is underground.

It has started to run its ventilation continuously and now keeps its door open throughout operating hours, although summer's hot, humid air invades the dark bar.

"We check customers' body temperature with non-contact type thermometers. We also ask them to sanitize with alcohol while keeping the door open and our staff wear face masks during working hours," said Yuna Kitagawa, 22, the manager of the sake bar.

He has started to ask customers for contact details as well as keeping a record of what times they come in order to "reach them just in case something happens."

After Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a nationwide state of emergency requesting citizens to stay at home in April, Tonari's sales dropped 60 to 70 percent. The emergency was lifted in late May.

While some public-facing industries such as gyms were asked to close by some prefectural governors, including Tokyo's, during the declaration, restaurants and bars were allowed to stay open -- but requested to shorten opening hours.

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