Amid the further spread of the new coronavirus infections, museums have decided to temporarily close, while organizers have announced cancellations or restrictions for several cultural and sporting events.
Shochiku Co., Toho Co., and Meijiza Co., for example, said they will cancel performances that had been running as well as upcoming ones from Friday through March 10.
Tokyu Bunkamura, Inc. is also suspending theater performances, an exhibition and movie screenings at its Bunkamura complex and another facility in Tokyo's Shibuya district during the same period.
The Takarazuka Revue Company has announced that it will cancel performances from Saturday through March 8. Toho has also decided to postpone the release of the latest movie version of Doraemon, a popular animation series, which was initially scheduled for March 6. It has not yet been decided when the film will be released.
The Independent Administration National Museum of Art has decided to temporarily close all six facilities it manages from Saturday through March 15. Four of the six are in Tokyo -- the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; the National Museum of Western Art; the National Art Center, Tokyo; the National Film Archive of Japan -- with the remaining in two other cities -- the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, and the National Museum of Art, Osaka.
The organizer of AnimeJapan, one of the biggest anime events in the world, has announced the cancellation of its latest edition, which was scheduled to be held from March 21 to 24 at the Tokyo Big Sight complex in Koto Ward. According to the organizer, the 2019 edition attracted 140,000 visitors.
The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Koto Ward is temporarily closing through March 17. The facility said it is considering uploading videos for some of the planned events during the period.
Waseda University in Tokyo announced that it will not hold a graduation ceremony, which was scheduled on March 25 and 26, and an entrance ceremony, which was planned for April 1 and 2, as part of efforts to prevent the further spread of the new coronavirus. "We put the highest priority on the safety of the attendants [at these ceremonies]," the private university said.
Meiji University will take a similar move for its graduation ceremony set for March 23 at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, so will Hosei University for its graduation ceremony scheduled for March 24. Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto and some other private colleges in Tokyo are among the higher educational institutions that have given up holding graduation ceremonies.
No spectators allowed
The Japan Racing Association (JRA) has announced that it will hold horse races without spectators from Saturday for the time being, the first such step the organization has taken since it was established in 1954. Sales of betting tickets and claims for winning tickets at offtrack booths will also be suspended, which means betting will only be possible via telephone and the internet.
Horse races are scheduled over the weekend at courses in Chiba, Hyogo and Aichi prefectures. Only officials, the owners of racing horses and trainers will be allowed to enter the tracks, and awards ceremonies will not be held. The JRA will extend the period for claiming winning tickets by about two weeks.
Horse races in regional areas, as well as other forms of public gambling such as bicycle and boat racing, will also be conducted without spectators.
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