Meiji Jingu normally attracts about 3 million visitors during the first three days of January.
Usually, its gates are open all night on New Year's Eve, but this year they were closed between 4 p.m. on December 31 and 6 a.m. on January 1 to avoid congestion.
People began to gather in front of the gates at around 5 a.m., and were allowed inside the compound an hour later.
Masked worshippers were seen keeping a meter apart from one another as they lined up in front of the worship hall to toss coins into a giant makeshift offering box.
Visitors can buy arrow amulets and good-luck charms at the shrine, but are unable to touch the items prior to purchasing.
The shrine says the number of visitors before noon on Friday was less than half that of a normal year.
A man in his 70s who came with his family said they came earlier than usual to avoid the crowds, but hardly anyone was in sight.
A visitor in her 20s told NHK she came to pray that the pandemic will be contained. She said last year was a terrible year as she had less work due to the outbreak.
The major Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways says it will suspend services on 16 international routes from late March, as demand falls amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
(NHK)
The season's first ice floes have reached the Okhotsk Sea coast of Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.
(NHK)
Take a trip back in time and trace the paths of past travelers in the post towns and sacred spaces found in the majestic mountains of the Japanese countryside. (NHK)
Airlines that were hoping to turn the corner this year after a rough 2020 may be in for a rude awakening. Major Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways is planning to slash international flights during the summer by 50 percent.
(NHK)
At least 15,058 people were on waiting lists for a hospital or a designated accommodations after testing positive for the novel coronavirus earlier this month in the 11 prefectures covered by a state of emergency, a Kyodo News survey found, as public health centers have been swamped with a surge in cases cases.
(Japan Times)
The snow this winter on Japan’s ski runs and the powder on the off-piste is probably the best it has been in a decade. (South China Morning Post)
If you plan to fly into Tokyo, Haneda Airport is where you want to land. Sure, rival Narita Airport sometime gets called “Tokyo International Airport,” but it’s actually all the way out in Chiba Prefecture, while Haneda is the one truly located within Tokyo. (Japan Today)
Weather officials are warning of more snow in the areas surrounding Tokyo, mainly in mountainous regions. But they say it is unlikely to accumulate in central Tokyo as the temperatures at high altitude did not dip as much as expected. (NHK)
Traveling the waterways of Tokyo, Japan. (CNN)
Kyushu is said to be the wellspring of Japanese civilization. Yet few tourists visit the southernmost of Japan's main islands. This documentary contrasts modern Japanese cities with traditional customs in the countryside. (DW Documentary)
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(NHK)
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Train services in greater Tokyo are scheduled to end earlier at night starting from Wednesday, due to a state of emergency declared in the region over the spread of the coronavirus.
(NHK)
Japan's health ministry plans to establish a system to effectively track foreign nationals who tested positive for coronavirus after entering the country.
(NHK)
To celebrate the new year, we're taking to the skies to check out Tokyo with an unobstructed view! (JapanPro)
The Tokyo Disney Resort is one of the best Disney Resorts in the entire world which is rather ironic as... it's not Disney. (ReviewTyme)
Shooting in Shinjuku/新宿, Shibuya/渋谷, Asakusa/浅草, Akihabara/秋葉原, showing how the town looks like on the first weekend. (Rion Ishida)
The Japanese government is stepping up coronavirus countermeasures for people entering the country.
(NHK)
The Japanese government plans to suspend the entry of all foreigners as the coronavirus continues to spread around the world.
(NHK)
Little change was seen in the flow of commuters at major train stations in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures Friday morning as a fresh state of emergency came into effect in the metropolitan area to stop the spread of COVID-19.
(Japan Times)