The Oharai-machi district near Ise Jingu shrine in Mie Prefecture was crowded with visitors on Saturday, part of the first weekend since the government lifted its ban on cross-prefectural travel.
In addition to the gradual return of crowds at tourist spots, the number of people increased from last weekend at major train stations and central city areas across the nation.
According to a mobile spatial statistics report compiled by NTT Docomo Inc., the number of passengers at Shinjuku Station in Tokyo on Saturday was 15.3% below the level seen on holidays between Jan. 18 and Feb. 14. That is nearly a 10 point improvement over the previous Saturday, when the number of people was 25.2% lower than the January to February level.
There was also a nearly 10 point drop from the previous Saturday in the Umeda area of Osaka and the Tenjin area of Fukuoka. Sapporo Station and Yokohama Station were more crowded than before the spread of the coronavirus.
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