Japan’s residents are flocking to tourism hot spots and snapping up normally hard-to-get restaurant reservations even as COVID-19 infections surge to a record, in a sign one of the slowest major economies to fully reopen is adjusting to life with the virus.
Domestic travel is booming as people enjoy their first restriction-free summer since 2019 and as still-tight border rules keep away the hordes of foreign visitors that typically crowd popular attractions. Most residents are shaking off concerns about the current wave of virus cases, with travel agencies H.I.S. and JTB reporting no obvious rise in cancellations. Nippon Travel Agency Co. says any spots that become available are quickly booked.
The spread of highly contagious virus variants doesn’t seem to be dampening enthusiasm so far, even with the seven-day rolling average in new infections reaching 1,628 per million people, the highest among Group of Seven nations. Japan’s hospital beds are slowly filling up, reaching 48% occupancy as of July 27, according to data compiled by NHK. Still, the death rate is just 0.87 per million people, the lowest in the G7.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.