Japanese people still flocked to famous cherry blossom viewing spots over the weekend, despite health officials' warnings about Covid-19.
With Japan hit hard by Covid-19, crowds may be sparser and gatherings smaller, but warnings about the virus are unlikely to stop people from enjoying the cherry blossom season.
Over the weekend, Tokyo saw crowds crowding popular cherry blossom viewing spots, many without masks. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike admitted that “stopping Japanese people from holding cherry blossom viewing parties is like telling Italians not to hug each other,” but urged people to avoid large gatherings.
“I come here every year. I would feel bad if I missed it. There are more people than I thought,” said Etsuo Fujisawa, a 57-year-old dentist, as he admired the cherry blossoms at Ueno Park in Tokyo yesterday.
Loudspeakers in Ueno Park repeatedly broadcast messages warning people not to gather to eat and drink, but many small groups and couples still sat together to eat under the cherry trees.
At Chidorigafuchi Park, another popular cherry blossom viewing spot, signs have been put up asking people not to eat or drink under the trees. But a group of women sat together to view the blossoms, none of them wearing masks.
Yuichiro Tanaka, a vegetable wholesaler, went to see the cherry blossoms with a group of friends despite the warnings. “We were told to restrain ourselves, but I still wanted to have at least one party,” Tanaka said, describing “hanami,” outdoor parties under cherry trees, as “the real joy of spring.”.
Tanaka said he and his staff have been following some Covid-19 prevention tips. “Usually during the cherry blossom season, we hold hanami parties every weekend, but this year we are doing it just once, today only,” he said.
Cherry blossom season is one of Japan's most important events, with weather forecasters trying to predict the exact time the first flowers will bloom in major cities.
It’s also a crucial time of year for business, with people taking short trips and restaurants coming up with cherry blossom-inspired dishes. But Covid-19 has changed that, with researchers at Kansai University predicting the outbreak will see a drop in service industry revenue this season of nearly 40%.
In South Korea, where nearly 9,000 cases and more than 100 deaths have been recorded from the virus, officials have decided to erect barriers to prevent people from going to famous flower viewing spots.
“Since we cannot completely prevent spring picnickers from coming here, we will close all popular cherry blossom viewing spots. This will have the same effect as stopping tourists,” said Huh Sung-moo, mayor of Changwon City.
Meanwhile, the Japanese government is considering lifting some restrictions, including allowing schools in some areas to reopen, despite the country having recorded more than 1,000 cases and 41 deaths from nCoV. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also called for schools to resume operations as soon as the new school year begins in April.
“It's nice to be out. It feels great,” said one Japanese resident.
