COVID removes the luster from Japan s Golden Week holidays
Traditionally a time to travel, shop and go out, this year s festive season has been disrupted by a third state of emergency as cases of COVID-19 rise.
This shopping area in Tokyo would normally be packed during Japan s annual spring festival
Every spring for the 20 years that Fumie Takenaka has lived in Tokyo, she has taken advantage of the Golden Week holiday period to travel to her hometown in Aichi Prefecture.
She even risked a brief trip this time last year, as the coronavirus pandemic in Japan appeared to be waning. It is clear today, however, that the pandemic returns in waves.
Japan s youth mark Coming of Age Day amid coronavirus surge
The day is a rite of passage for young people who have turned or are about to turn 20 years old. Most events were canceled due to COVID-19 but some authorities went ahead with celebrations despite a state of emergency.
Millions of Japanese turning 20 this year
More than a million people in Japan turn 20 this year, the age at which they can legally drink alcohol, smoke and get married without parental approval. Reaching this age is usually marked by mass ceremonies around the country, but these were largely cancelled this year due to the pandemic.