May 02 (NHK) - People in Japan are now enjoying their first spring holidays in three years with no coronavirus restrictions in place.
Popular tourist spots across the country are coming back to life, and are again teeming with visitors.
A hot spring resort in Matsuyama City in Ehime Prefecture was bustling with tourists on Sunday, the third day of the spring holidays.
"Dogo Onsen Honkan" is one of the most popular hot spring spas in the area. Visitors had to wait to enter for about six hours from around noon.
Tourists also flocked to Tokyo Skytree, the country's tallest tower.
It's the first time in three years that the observation deck was opened during the spring holidays. Visitors were let in one hour earlier than usual to avoid potential congestion.
Officials in Tokyo reported 3,161 new cases on Sunday. The figure dropped by more than 1,700 from a week ago.
Nationwide, health authorities confirmed 26,960 new cases and 34 deaths on Sunday.