The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun
Braving the crowd
Eased event restrictions have successfully lured the pandemic-weary out of hiding, but organizers and audiences remain on guard against virus
Restrictions on the number of people attending events that had been in place due to the novel coronavirus were relaxed from Sept. 19, the start of a four-day holiday.
The stadiums of professional baseball teams hosted about 10,000 spectators per game. Crowds were also seen at tourist attractions, but the spots were nowhere near as busy as they were before the pandemic.
The long weekend arrived with people still wary of the risk of infections.
In professional baseball, the maximum number of spectators allowed was raised from 5,000 to 50% of a stadium’s capacity. About 10,000 spectators were in the stands at each of the six stadiums where games were played on the first day of the four-day break. Tickets for outfield seats were available for some games, bringing excitement back to sections of stadiums that have remained empty for a long time.
At the game between the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and the Yomiuri Giants at Yokohama Stadium, 13,106 fans were in the stands. Although spectators were prohibited from cheering loudly or playing musical instruments, the teams were greeted with bursts of applause.
“It’s great to watch [ the game] live and exciting to be all together as one,” an 11-yearold boy from Yokohama said.
“I feel like normal life has returned. It’s great to see my son this excited,” the boy’s father said.
Staggered exits are among measures the BayStars have put in place to prevent the spread of infections. “If anything happens, it’ll have to go back to the way it was, so we have to make sure the rules are being followed,” the team’s spokesperson said.
At the Fukuoka PayPay Dome, 11,937 spectators watched the game between the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. The stadium opened an hour earlier than usual to ensure there was enough time for all spectators to have their temperatures checked and to disinfect their hands.
Attendance restrictions were also eased in professional soccer’s J.League. Yanmar Stadium Nagai in Osaka hosted 6,836 spectators for the fixture between Cerezo Osaka and Kashima Antlers on Sept. 19. The upper limit of attendance has been increased to 8,100.
Meanwhile, the 50% cap for movie theaters with a capacity of less than 5,000 has been removed.
Small theaters such as Eurospace and Image Forum, both in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, began selling tickets for all seats on Sept. 19.
The Japan Association of Theatre Owners, which compiled coronavirus- related guidelines for movie theaters, said the decision to ease restrictions was “up to the discretion of each theater.”
Many cinema complexes, such as TOHO Cinemas and Aeon Cinema, have continued to restrict the number of tickets sold to ensure a one-seat buffer around audience members.
On the morning of Sept. 19, few crowds were seen in Tokyo’s Asakusa district, one of the most popular tourist spots in the capital, but visitors began appearing from the afternoon.
“It was not as crowded as I expected,” said a woman visiting Tokyo from Osaka Prefecture for the first time in six months.
In the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, the Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum’s parking lot was about 80% full. The number of seats available at the museum’s concert hall has been halved as a virus measure.
“Visitors are returning, and many more are expected to come during the four- day holiday,” the museum’s deputy manager said. “We want to take every possible precaution to welcome them.”
According to East Japan Railway Co., the number of reservations for Shinkansen bullet trains over the fourday break was about half that of the same period last year. However, during the Bon holiday period on Aug. 7-17, it was about 20% of the figure during the same period last year.
According to Japan Airlines, the number of domestic flights booked for Sept. 19 was about 70% of the number booked on the first day of the three- day weekend last autumn on Sept. 21. Many flights from Haneda Airport were fully booked.