Some shopping areas in Tokyo are lighting up their streets throughout the night for the safety of the locals, even as many businesses have been asked to temporarily close or shorten their operating hours under the extended third state of emergency due to the pandemic.
Restaurant and shop operators have undertaken the lighting project in two shopping areas south of JR Nakano Station in Nakano Ward. They said they hope to light up the dark streets where local residents and commuters walk.
The business owners are looking forward to the day when they can resume business as usual. In the meantime, they are doing steady community-based activities including picking up littering left behind after people do street drinking.
The shopping areas are in the Nakano Rengazaka area and the Momozono Shotengai area.
I visited the areas on the night of May 12, when the state of emergency period was extended. Many of the shops there closed, complying with the local government's requests to temporarily close or shorten operating hours, but the streets were brightly illuminated.
The project was initiated by Dota Ogura, 41, owner of the dining bar Nihonshu Baru Nakano Aonisai in Nakano Rengazaka.
"I learned about a similar project in Okinawa Prefecture on social media and decided to do it here, too," Ogura said.
On April 15, before the third state of emergency was declared in Tokyo, he asked other people doing business in the shopping areas to join the lighting project. About 20 of them agreed.
Since then, the restaurants and shops have been keeping their lights on even after their operating hours.
Ogura also made and put up a poster that reads, "We are temporarily closing our shops to restore peace of mind as soon as possible, but we are keeping the lights on for peace of mind today."
When the third state of emergency was declared, the Tokyo metropolitan government requested that restaurants that serve alcohol be temporarily closed and other restaurants be closed by 8 p.m.
Although Ogura complied with the request for temporary closure, he was worried about the government request that all illuminated signboards and neon signs be turned off after 8 p.m.
He decided to continue lighting up his restaurant as he thought "some people may feel uneasy if the streets become dark at night. I want people to feel the warmth of the restaurants" even during their temporary closure or after their operating hours.
The lighting project has been expanded to include other businesses, such as real estate agencies and clothing stores.
Akie Watanabe, 55, operator of the flower shop Kagetsu in the Momozono shopping area, also joined the project.
"Our shopping area can't hold any events due to the pandemic, but I want to light up the streets so that local people can go home safely," Watanabe said.
Local residents and commuters told her they are grateful for the project, she said.
-- Cleaning up
Ogura also cleans up local public places by picking up litter left behind after street drinking.
He has been concerned with the rise in street drinking, spurred by restaurants not being allowed to serve alcohol due to the pandemic.
He decided to pick up trash in a nearby park and streets three times a week or so because he thought, "If the streets are full of trash related to drinking, people will hate alcohol even more."
Ogura had to permanently close two stores in central Tokyo due to the pandemic. Despite the hardship, he is continuing to work.
"I want to keep my restaurant in Nakano no matter what," Ogura said.
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