Rush of commuters seen in Tokyo despite 3rd coronavirus state of emergency

In Tokyo, which was placed under the state of emergency on Sunday along with the western Japan prefectures of Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo, commuters wearing face masks filled the crosswalks in the Marunouchi major business district.

«It is impossible for me to not come to office because I work as a receptionist at a company,» said a 53-year-old woman who commuted from Yokohama in Tokyo's neighboring prefecture of Kanagawa, despite a request by Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike that people refrain from coming to Tokyo as much as possible.

«The train was as crowded as before the state of emergency was declared,» she said.

Company employee Keisuke Munakata, a 55-year-old resident of Tokyo, said he commutes in every day because he has many meetings to attend.

«It cannot be helped that the state of emergency was declared given the situation that coronavirus variants are spreading. We just need to pray that the cases will decrease,» he said.

The emergency declaration will be effective for the four prefectures for 17 days through May 11 in a bid to stem infections during the upcoming Golden Week holidays from late April to early May.

In addition to current measures implemented to counter the spread of the virus, Japan's top government spokesman on Monday vowed efforts to tackle a double mutant variant of the novel coronavirus, of which 21 cases have been confirmed in the country, up from five as of Thursday.

«We want to thoroughly take necessary measures, including strengthening border controls and monitoring steps,» Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told reporters. The variant, discovered in India, has the features of two different coronavirus mutations and may be highly contagious.

Before 8 a.m. near JR Osaka Station, students queued for buses, while there was no reduction in the number of people in office attire.

«It seems busy as usual,» said Takeshi Yamada, a 23-year-old company employee from Kyoto as he looked around.

«The train was crowded as usual,» said Reiko Kita, a 58-year-old part-time worker from Amagasaki in Hyogo, who added she had not been asked by her company to work remotely.

University campuses, however, were deserted with many classes switched to online.

«There was a class that might have been held in person from May but given the circumstances that may be difficult. It's disappointing,» said a male senior student at Meiji University who came to the library at the university's campus in Tokyo.

In Kyoto, the prefectural government has asked universities to limit the entry of students to 50 percent or less.

At a quiet Kyoto Sangyo University campus, a third-year female student said, «Compared to usual times, it seems only 10 percent of students are here. During the state of emergency, all of my classes are held online. It's boring.»

Under the tougher measures implemented under the third state of emergency, large commercial facilities, theme parks, movie theaters, karaoke establishments and restaurants serving alcohol have been asked to close.

Sports events are to be held without spectators, while department stores in the designated areas are only selling food and other daily essentials.

But on Sunday, crowds were seen in some downtown areas in the four designated prefectures, while some eateries continued to serve alcohol.

Japan on Sunday reported over 4,600 daily coronavirus infections, with its cumulative death toll fast approaching 10,000 at 9,990.