Dining and entertainment establishments welcomed the government's decision Thursday to end the COVID-19 state of emergency in the Tokyo region on Sunday, but many remain skeptical about whether it will immediately cause customers to return.
"I feel too embarrassed to even say how few customers we've had," said 67-year-old Isao Sakurai, the manager of a yakitori grilled skewered chicken restaurant in Tokyo's Shimbashi district.
The current situation is the toughest in the 55 years since the restaurant opened, he said, adding, "If the situation doesn't change, I probably won't be able to continue running this place."