Tokyo s restaurateurs rail against alcohol ban as Covid measures bite Avivid rainbow heralds the arrival of dusk in Tokyo, but the fabled promise of a pot of gold must seem like a cruel joke to restaurateurs in Shimbashi, where office blocks stand in happy proximity to hundreds of watering holes.
In pre-coronavirus days, nightfall would be the cue for the neighbourhood’s neon lights to flicker into action and for touts armed with laminated menus to beckon office workers inside with promises of cheap food and drink.
But as Tokyo begins the fourth week of its latest coronavirus state of emergency, the usual post-work bonhomie that spills out on to Shimbashi’s narrow backstreets has been replaced by anger and despondency.
Last modified on Tue 18 May 2021 20.37 EDT
A vivid rainbow heralds the arrival of dusk in Tokyo, but the fabled promise of a pot of gold must seem like a cruel joke to restaurateurs in Shimbashi, where office blocks stand in happy proximity to hundreds of watering holes.
In pre-coronavirus days, nightfall would be the cue for the neighbourhoodâs neon lights to flicker into action and for touts armed with laminated menus to beckon office workers inside with promises of cheap food and drink.
But as Tokyo begins the fourth week of its latest coronavirus state of emergency, the usual post-work bonhomie that spills out on to Shimbashiâs narrow backstreets has been replaced by anger and despondency.
日本烤肉在疫情期间流行的奥秘
ndoor grilling isn t a new concept， but in the pandemic era， it can make the difference between a restaurant surviving or closing its doors. Good ventilation is turning into a secret weapon for Japan s yakiniku， or “grilled meat，” restaurants， where customers cook raw ingredients such as cuts of beef shoulder，pork belly and vegetables at the table.
While many eateries around the globe remain shuttered or offer takeout only， establishments in Japan have remained open because the government doesn t have the legal means to force closures. Before the government implemented a state of emergency last month，it was even encouraging people to eat out.
The Secret Behind the Meat Grilling Boom in Japan
Bloomberg 2/7/2021 Lisa Du and Grace Huang
(Bloomberg) Indoor grilling isn’t a new concept, but in the pandemic era, it can make the difference between a restaurant surviving or closing its doors.
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Good ventilation is turning into a secret weapon for Japan’s yakiniku, or “grilled-meat” restaurants, where customers cook raw ingredients such as cuts of beef shoulder, pork belly and vegetables at the table.
While many eateries around the globe remain shuttered or offer takeout only, Japan’s establishments have remained open because the government doesn’t have the legal means to force closures. Before the government implemented a state of emergency last month, it was even encouraging people to eat out. Even so, the island nation saw a record number of restaurant bankruptcies in 2020, according to Teikoku Databank.