Photo/Illutration A customer can buy a face shield at a cabaret club in Aoba Ward in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, on May 21. (Shigetaka Kodama)

SENDAI--This northeastern city boasts the largest entertainment district in the Tohoku region but nightclubs here are far from hopping like they used to, even though restrictions due to the new coronavirus pandemic were eased earlier this month.

Sendai is home to the Kokubuncho district, which rivals Tokyo's famed seedy Kabukicho in Shinjuku Ward.

At Kingyo, a popular cabaret club in Sendai's Aoba Ward, customer numbers are down to one third even though it reopened for business in mid-May.

Local authorities on May 7 lifted their request for entertainment venues to remain closed, but still urged caution for fear of a rise in COVID-19 infections in enclosed spaces with large gatherings.

To comply, Kingyo limits its customers to only those living in Miyagi Prefecture who made reservations and named a hostess to serve them.

Staff dressed in black with face shields stand at the entrance to check the temperature of each arriving customer. They also disinfect tables regularly.

Patrons can purchase face shields on the premises.

“Although local authorities allowed us to reopen, they still want people to refrain from traveling outside their home prefecture just to visit an establishment like us,” said Takeshi Agatsuma, 40. “It amounts to a directive to us to go running with torn Achilles heel tendons.”

Agatsuma said his two other cabaret clubs remain closed.

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