A visit to Shibuya is starting to slowly feel like it used to. After months in which the Tokyo neighborhood saw its famous crossing deserted and streets left spacious, trips there now seem almost normal, with larger crowds of people zig-zagging around — masks on their faces, of course.
Look closer, though, and what has been lost due to the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 becomes clear. After 15 minutes of strolling about, it dawns on you — “Wait, where are the packs of tourists dressed as Minions driving go-carts?”
While the pandemic has impacted nearly every corner of Japan’s business community, tourism in particular has taken a major hit in 2020. After a decade of booming growth, the number of people entering the country plunged 99.9%.