Jan 30, 2021
Like so many restaurants in the world’s most Michelin-starred city, Ginza Isomura is struggling to weather the latest crisis rocking the pandemic-battered hospitality industry.
A staple in one of Tokyo’s most expensive shopping and dining districts for decades, the restaurant has been serving carefully prepared deep-fried skewers of meat, seafood and seasonal vegetables to customers from around the world. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, international travelers could be seen rubbing elbows with Japanese office workers at the folk-themed establishment’s polished wooden counter, listening to chefs in white uniforms explain each skewered entree.
In what has become an all-too-common story since the onset of the health scare, however, sales have plummeted due to social distancing measures, travel restrictions and stay-at-home requests.
Desperate restaurants defy Japan s virus curbs to stay open late bnnbloomberg.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bnnbloomberg.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Japanese government declared a second state of emergency following a surge in coronavirus cases in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures on Jan 7. Following prefectural governors' request, the central government extended this emergency declaration to 11 prefectures on Wednesday. Eating establishments have been asked to close by 8 p.m.…