Japanese couldn't resist blossoms despite pandemic, phone data shows
Big data provided by a mobile phone carrier backed speculation that Japanese people scaled back efforts to voluntarily refrain from going out to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on the three-day weekend in March, a study has shown. Crowds of people not much different ...
The enemy forces landed in an area extending from the neighborhood of Kitadani to the vicinity of Cape Zampa in the southwestern part of the main island of Okinawa at about 10 a.m. on April 1 and are now continuously reinforcing their troops.
Snow and store closures keep Tokyo crowds at bay over critical coronavirus weekend
A rare late-March snowfall coupled with numerous store closures helped keep Tokyo residents indoors Sunday, day two of a crucial weekend in the city's attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19. With snow falling across the Kanto region from morning until around noon, an icy ...
Abe denies wife attended cherry blossom party in defiance of coronavirus calls to abstain
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that his wife, Akie, did not attend a cherry blossom viewing party in Tokyo despite calls to refrain from outdoor gathering to help contain the coronavirus outbreak. Abe made the remarks during Friday's session of the Upper House Budget ...
In Washington, cherry blossoms test limits of coronavirus isolation
As Washingtonians muddled through coronavirus-induced isolation on Saturday, the city's famed cherry blossoms reached maximum bloom, offering an enticing temptation to test the limits of self-distancing. The delicate flowers opened just as many of the last vestiges of entertainment closed in the city, which is ...
In bloom? Celebrating Japan’s iconic cherry trees in a time of pandemic
Blossoms are beginning to open in Tokyo, but will this year's celebrations wither due to concern over the new coronavirus?
Why are Japan’s millennials shunning alcohol?
Some time before the coronavirus outbreak put a damper on this year’s hanami (blossom viewing) parties and other social activities, the media had already noted that the decline in alcohol consumption by younger Japanese has been accelerating. This phenomenon even made the front page ...
Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?
How has Japan seemingly escaped the spread of the coronavirus when other countries have suffered so badly?
Tokyo first in nation to see cherry blossoms flower with earliest date on record
The Meteorological Agency said a cherry tree on the grounds of Yasukuni Shrine began blooming 12 days earlier than usual and seven days earlier than last year.
As Japan scales down events due to COVID-19, Ehime Prefecture sticks to hanami tradition
The ever-growing outbreak of COVID-19 is prompting some municipalities to urge cancellations of hanami parties, the annual Japanese tradition of picnicking and carousing while enjoying the ephemeral beauty of cherry blossoms that start gracing parks and riversides once spring arrives. But Tokihiro Nakamura, governor of ...
Coronavirus fears threaten to wreck Tokyo's cherry blossom season
The Imperial Household Agency announced Friday that it will cancel the opening of Inui Street inside the Imperial Palace in Tokyo during the cherry blossom season, in the latest disruption caused by concerns over the new coronavirus. The street has been opened to the public ...
The parks surrounding Japan's historic castles are among the best spots to enjoy cherry blossoms. For a brief period every year, the cherry blossoms conspire with the regal architecture to create a spectacular sight.
