Many elementary, junior high and high schools in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama and other prefectures started summer breaks Saturday amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.
According to the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry, more than 90% of local governments that asked schools to temporarily close due to the pandemic have shortened this year's summer vacation period.
The most common period for the summer vacation this year is 16 days, and 70% of elementary and junior high schools have breaks of 20 days or less.
At holiday destinations, families were seen enjoying the summer while taking measures against infections, such as avoiding crowds.
Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, an aquarium and amusement park in Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, has introduced a system in which visitors can make online reservations for the date and time that they will line up at ticket windows on weekends and extended holidays. On Saturday the park was taking such measures as measuring visitors' temperatures with an automatic thermographic camera near the entrance gate.
"We were planning to go to Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, but gave up on making a long-distance trip," said a Kawasaki homemaker who was with her son, a third-grade elementary school student. "We want to enjoy the holiday while doing what we can [against the virus], like washing hands and gargling."
-- Rainy season ends in Kanto-Koshin, Tokai
The rainy season appears to have ended in the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions, finishing 11 days later than in an average year, the Japan Meteorological Agency said Saturday.
The end of the rainy season in the Kanto-Koshin region came in August for the first time in 13 years, since 2007. It was the fourth latest ending date since the compiling of statistics began in 1951. The latest ending date was Aug. 4, 1982. The Tokai region saw the third latest ending date this year. The rainy season finished eight days later than last year in both the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions.
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