JR Utsunomiya Station is filled with commuters in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, on the morning of Jan. 14. (Takuji Hiraga)
For Kenichi Saito, the new state of emergency that took effect on Jan. 14 did not change his usual commute to Tokyo.
Saito, 50, of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, who took a train to his company’s Tokyo office, said Tokyoites appear to be letting their guard down against the novel coronavirus, compared with the first state of emergency last spring.
“I have no choice but to go to the office because I need to train new employees, including those coming from Osaka,” he said. “But I am worried about the crowded trains. I want to work from home more often.”