KYOTO — Concerns about the new flu were on the minds of tourists and local officials in the Kansai region Friday, as the ancient capital of Kyoto braced for the arrival of thousands of tourists from Japan and abroad over the Golden Week holidays.
At Kyoto Station Friday morning, busloads of Japanese tourists gathered around flag-waving tour guides, while groups of non-Japanese tourists with backpacks searched for foreign language information about local shrines and temples. Both Japanese and non-Japanese tourists said they were concerned, but not panicked, about the possibility of type H1N1 flu spreading.
"We've traveled to other countries that are always dangerous, healthwise. Many of the precautions officials are urging are the kinds of common-sense suggestions like keeping clean, eating healthy, and getting plenty of rest, things that anybody who travels should be familiar with," said Beth Ryan, a 25-year-old American who was visiting Kyoto with her boyfriend.