The J.League's YBC Levain Cup final between Nagoya Grampus and Cerezo Osaka drew nearly 18,000 spectators to Saitama Stadium on Saturday -- a sizable turnout made possible under a government trial to safely accommodate more fans at large-scale events.
Attendance at large-scale events has been capped at 10,000 under current COVID-19 restrictions, but an additional 10,000 seats were made available as part of the government's so-called "vaccine and test package" to fans who either had proof of vaccination or had tested negative for the novel coronavirus in a PCR test.
The total number of spectators at the venue on the day was 17,933.
It was the seventh trial study conducted by the government at a J.League game to assess the initiative's effectiveness in mitigating the spread of coronavirus infections. As with prior trials, the event proceeded without any major hiccups.
Ahead of Saturday's game, a preliminary summary of findings from the past six trials was released by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), the entity performing the study.
Despite concerns that vaccination campaign progress would make people lax about the need for infection prevention, cameras equipped with artificial intelligence found that a high percentage of spectators have been donning masks -- at a rate of 95.2% in regular seats, and 93.6% in seats set aside for the government initiative.
A review of acoustic data confirmed that spectators had largely refrained from cheering, and mainly rooted on their teams with applause.
Fans participating in the program were required to present staff members with relevant documentation upon entering the stadium, such as identification and vaccination records. But the survey found the process was handled swiftly, requiring an average of about 34 seconds per person.
"It's been possible to avoid crowding during even the busiest timeframes," said an official. "What we learned should be useful in dealing with even larger numbers of spectators in the future."
A company employee from Toda, Saitama Prefecture, said: "Hearing 20,000 [tickets were sold] really makes it feel like spectator sports are getting back to how they were [pre-pandemic]."
-- Trial launched at Yomiuriland
The attendance cap at Yomiuriland was doubled from 10,000 to 20,000 on Saturday, with the introduction of the government's vaccine and test package at the amusement park in Kawasaki from the day.
Through Nov. 14, the park plans to offer perks, such as one free ride, to visitors who present proof of having received two doses of vaccine or a negative test result.
Park visitors will also be asked to fill out paper or web questionnaires, with information including their names and contact information, in a bid to verify potential issues arising from the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
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