Cherry trees are forecast to be in full bloom within a week or so in Tokyo, thanks to the spring sun, but officials are trying to nip the usual accompanying festive atmosphere in the bud.

Officials have closed off popular viewing spots, including many parks and riverside paths normally packed with strollers and drinkers around this time of year, to prevent the novel coronavirus and its new variants from spreading. Many cherry blossom-viewing festivals have been canceled as well.

At Metropolitan Inokashira Park in western Tokyo, areas reaching about 8,400 square meters have been roped off since March 12.

Visitors are not allowed to get close to an outdoor stage or enter a park square to sit on a bench to view the sakura.

Park officials said the measure will continue until April 11.

A 49-year-old company employee living in the city of Mitaka came to the park with his wife to view the cherry blossoms in the afternoon on March 15.

“We have no choice this year,” he said, while eating pizza and drinking sparkling liquor.

He said the fine weather and the park being relatively uncrowded made the couple decide to go on an outing.

“There have been too many regulations, and we just wanted to escape from reality,” he said.

A woman who works at a park kiosk said the number of visitors have, in fact, increased since the pandemic began.

Particularly after the state of emergency was declared for Tokyo in January and now that restaurants and bars close at 8 p.m. in compliance with the metropolitan government’s request, partiers often move to the park and make lots of noise while drinking canned beer, the woman said.

Many of the cherry trees there still have unopened flower buds but are expected to be in full bloom this weekend, brightening the park with vibrant hues of pink.

“I am worried about people coming here to view the sakura after dark,” she said.

The metropolitan government’s park management office for western Tokyo set up signboards on March 15 that prohibit people from spreading out plastic sheets in the park, eating and drinking.

Starting from March 20, the office will send security guards on nighttime patrols.

On March 5, when the central government extended the state of emergency in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures, the metropolitan government announced that it would close off some areas in Ueno Park and Yoyogi Park, the most famous spots for cherry blossom viewing in the capital.

The metropolitan government later added Shiba Park, Rinshi no Mori Park and Roka Koshunen to the list, citing their popularity.

Visitors can still walk in those parks and see the blossoms, but they are required to wear a mask and avoid busy hours.

Officials said the measure will be intact until at least the end of March.

About 800 Someiyoshino cherry trees lining the Meguro River attract about 3 million visitors every spring.

Meguro Ward Mayor Eiji Aoki released a video message on March 15 that urges people to refrain from coming to the area to view the sakura.

It was the second time Aoki issued that kind of warning in March.

The ward office made a similar request during the last cherry blossom season. The number of visitors decreased by about half, but about four tons of garbage were left on the streets, officials said.

“We are worried about new coronavirus variants this year and urge people to stay away from the area more than last year,” an official said.

A festival at Ueno Park, scheduled from March 19 to April 11, has been canceled. Paper lanterns are hung from the sakura, but they are not lit up at night.

Koganei Park in western Tokyo, which showcases 50 varieties and 1,700 cherry trees, also canceled its cherry blossom-viewing festival.

Chiyoda Ward officials have canceled its annual festival scheduled in the area surrounding Chidorigafuchi moat. Pedestrian paths will not be lit up at night, and a boat dock will be closed after dark.

Instead, officials have made a livestream of the sakura available on the ward’s YouTube channel.

The Setagaya Ward Office posted archival pictures of cherry blossoms in five local spots on its website on March 12.

Starting from March 19, officials are expected to update the situation regarding blossom viewing at each location every Friday.

“We hope people will use these pictures as a background image when they have a remote sakura-viewing party,” an official said.