May 24 (Japan Times) - Major department stores ramped up operations Saturday following a six-week suspension for the coronavirus pandemic.
After Seibu's flagship store opened its doors at 10 a.m. in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, more than 50 people who were waiting entered after having their temperatures checked and disinfecting their hands.
The Seibu store, run by Sogo and Seibu Co., had closed off everything but its food section after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared the initial state of emergency for the pneumonia-causing virus on April 7. But the store has since reopened floors for clothing and other daily necessities, while keeping its sections for jewelry and art products shut.
