Business May 13, 2020
Narita Airport saw record-low number of travelers during Golden Week
The number of travelers during the holiday period between April 24 and May 6 dropped 99 percent from a year earlier to about 12,700.
National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN May 9, 2020
A pandemic potpourri of Golden Week news gems
by Mark Schreiber
As if the COVID-19 pandemic didn't give Japan enough things to worry about, the unseasonably warm winter and resulting lack of snow may spell severe shortages of water by this summer.
National / Media | Japan Pulse May 9, 2020
Golden Week takes a turn for the weird online amid pandemic
by Patrick St. Michel
The current environment surrounding the emergence of COVID-19 has forced people to come up with brand new ways of enjoying time away from work.
Business May 8, 2020
Shinkansen and express train users hit record low in Golden Week
Passenger numbers dropped 97 percent for the Akita and Yamagata shinkansen lines and 94 percent for the Tokaido Shinkansen line.
National May 7, 2020
Tokyo quiet as people return to work after Golden Week under emergency
Few people were seen walking near Tokyo Station on Thursday morning, and those that were mostly wore face masks.
Travel May 2, 2020
What is Golden Week and why does it matter?
by Russell Thomas
Due to COVID-19, this year’s Golden Week has all but been called off. We take a look at the history behind this cluster of national holidays and why its effective cancelation is a big deal.
National Apr 29, 2020
World Heritage Sites in Japan on alert against infections as Golden Week holidays start
Host municipalities, many in rural areas, wary over potential medical care challenges if coronavirus spreads via tourism to their areas.
National Apr 25, 2020
Japan's bullet trains and expressways eerily deserted as Golden Week begins
Crowded train stations and 40-km traffic jams prove elusive as the holidays open, with some enjoying entire shinkansen cars to themselves.
National Apr 24, 2020
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his team are likely to extend the state of emergency for the coronavirus in prefectures still struggling to curb the pandemic, sources said Friday. The emergency declaration was set to expire on May 6, when the Golden Week holidays officially ...
National Apr 24, 2020
Gov. Koike urges Tokyo residents to step up social distancing for Golden Week
by Ryusei Takahashi
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike pressed residents Friday to step up social distancing efforts over the next two weeks after previous countermeasures produced unsatisfactory results. The governor asked residents to especially refrain from traveling or going out during Golden Week, one of the busiest holiday seasons. “Unfortunately, ...
National Apr 23, 2020
Abe calls for restraint at 'most critical time' in virus state of emergency
Japan is facing its "most critical time" if the state of emergency imposed over the coronavirus epidemic is to be lifted as soon as possible, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said late Wednesday as he called for a further reduction in person-to-person contact. Abe stressed the ...
National / Science & Health Apr 23, 2020
Japanese asked to hunker down through Golden Week as virus numbers grow
by Satoshi Sugiyama
Officials worry that travel during holiday could create clusters in rural areas where the health care system is relatively fragile.