After temporary closures were announced one after another amid an outbreak of the new coronavirus, major theme parks and event venues had an unusually quiet weekend on Saturday.
The operator of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, said Friday the parks will close temporarily through March 15. Employees carrying megaphones stood in front of the station nearest the theme parks from Saturday morning to inform people of the temporary closure. There were only a few people around the parks.
"I didn't know it was closed," said a 49-year-old Malaysian man who was visiting with his wife. "Now I understand the seriousness of infection in Japan."
At the Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka, which will also close until March 15, a sign was placed at the entrance and staff members explained the situation to visitors.
Preseason games of professional baseball are being held without spectators. People were seen sparsely scattered around Fukuoka PayPay Dome, where a game between Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Hanshin Tigers was to be held on Saturday. SoftBank coach Kimiyasu Kudo said, "It's sad to play without fans, but it can't be helped."
Horse races overseen by the Japan Racing Association were also held without spectators. The Nakayama Racecourse in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, was so quiet that the sound of horses' hooves striking the ground could be heard.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
