Tokyo under emergency declaration: April 25, 2021

A state of emergency was declared in Tokyo due to the resurge of COVID-19 infection. It became effective on April 25, 2021 (today).

This is the third emergency declaration following the April-May period in 2020 and the January-March period in 2021.

I had a walk for exercise around my house in western Tokyo.

Some shops and restaurants were closed in the local shopping areas.

Most coffee shops offered take-away services only.

The public library offered only limited services.

Some shops, however, are open midnight (Such shops as grocery store are allowed to do so)

I found many people walking in the streets. There were as many people as there had been in the previous days, I observed. This is a scene at Kyodo, western Tokyo.

The photo left was taken in the Gotokuji area.

The situation (some shops and restaurants close, many people walk in the street) is almost same in many towns around Tokyo, according to news reports.

A year ago, when the first state of emergency was declares, the reactions of the people were different. Many people refrained from going out.

The towns were almost empty. the photo is the scene of underground walkways at Tokyo Station on April 7, 2020.

What happened in a year?

There are no compulsory orders to ban going out in the emergency declaration in Japan. People are only “asked” not to go out for unnecessary matters.

People followed positively to the request a year ago. Then, such requests have been repeated for about a year without showing clear effectiveness. Now, people are less cooperative to the govt.'s requests to stay home – this is what today’s scenes tell, it seems.

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is not big in Japan (number of cases per population is about a tenth compared with those in the European countries and U.S.). Still, the number of the beds for the COVID-19 patients are limited. The pace of vaccination is very slow.

Prime Minister Suga explained in the press conference on April 23 that the state of emergency will continue till May 11. However, the terms were postponed from the original plans in the previous two cases. PM repeated to hold the Olympic and Paralympic Games from July 23. He did not answer directly to several questions from the press.

Imperial Palace, Tokyo Station: April 23, 2021

The spring is turning into early summer and the light is getting brighter.

I walked around the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station.

There were few people walking around the palace, I found.

The situation is same around Tokyo station.

 

The Eastern Garden was temporally closed because of the COVID-19.

 

I found a swallow swimming slowly in the mort.

The sunshine was strong and the sky was blue.

 

This is a scene from the from the palace to the south.

 

Tokyo Station locates at the south of the Palace.

The broad road between the Palace and the station was almost empty.

 

New construction of a new skyscraper is under way in Yaes district, eastern part of the station.

 

The situation of the underground shopping area is changing day by day due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wearing mask, keeping physical distances, and other practices were requested. Some shops restrained the number of the customers to get in.

<Added on April 25, 2021>

The state of emergency was declared on April 25 in Tokyo. Shops and restaurants in the underground shopping area introduced new restrictions. Some shops closed during the period; other shortened operation hours.

 

Early summer flowers: April 18-25, 2021

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, I have walks almost every day for exercise in western Tokyo. 

I found early summer flowers during my walks. 

The Azalea bloom had the peak in the middle of April in many places. (See also the top and 2nd photos)

The azalea used to have full bloom in the late-April to early-May period (the Golden Week-holiday season) in Tokyo.

The bloom in this year is about two weeks earlier than it used to. The global warming lies behind – perhaps.

The ume (Japanese apricot) started to grow in the Hanegi Park in Setagaya City. The ume blossom was from February to early March.

I found German iris along the walking path.

I also found poppy,

wisteria and many other flowers.

A Japanese horse-chestnut tree opened its flowers.

New leaves of various trees began to grow. They include

Tulip trees,

and gingko trees.

People enjoyed their talks under the gingko trees. 

The zelkova trees also grew their leaves.

Flowers and fresh green: April 10-11, 2021

I enjoyed various spring flowers and fresh green during my walks in western Tokyo.

Tulip flowers were fully open in the Roka Park in Setagaya City. (See also the top photo)

Yae-sakura or double-flowered cherry blossom was its peak. (See the second photo)

The dogwood flowers began to open.

The new leaves started to grow in various trees.

This is a fresh green of tulip trees. (See also the 3rd photo)

Azalea blossom also started. The timing of azalea blossom is getting earlier year by year, I realize.