Familiar scene 1 year after 1st state of emergency in Japan

Commuters wait for the light as they exit Tokyo Station on Wednesday. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

Wednesday marked one year since the first state of emergency was declared due to the spread of infections with the novel coronavirus.

Last spring when there was a shortage of masks, there were complaints about people not wearing them, according to East Japan Railway Co. (JR East). These days, JR East said there are hardly any complaints.

"We continue to ask people to wear masks," JR East said.

There were more people seen at Tokyo Station than on April 7, 2020, when the first state of emergency was declared for seven prefectures including Tokyo. The state of emergency was extended to cover the entire nation on April 16. It was lifted in stages through May 25, 2020.

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