Photo/Illutration Many bars and restaurants in Tokyo’s Shinbashi district are closed temporarily at 6:08 p.m. on April 26 following the declaration of the third state of emergency. Others were operating without serving alcohol. (Yasuhiro Sugimoto)

Bars and restaurants in Tokyo’s Shinbashi district, famed as a drinking spot for Japanese businessmen, are struggling to draw patrons after being asked not to serve alcohol under the COVID-19 state of emergency.

Shortly past 6 p.m. on April 26, the first weekday since Japan’s third state of emergency was issued for the capital as well as Osaka, Hyogo and Kyoto prefectures, most pedestrians in suits in the area appeared to be headed to JR Shinbashi Station, rather than stopping at a bar.

“The crowds are only around half the level of last week,” said a restaurant employee in her 20s with a sigh, as she was trying to convince customers passing by on the street to come in. “And they're all salarymen going home.”

Establishments that serve alcohol are being asked to close in areas covered by the emergency declaration.

Nearly half the bars and restaurants around Shinbashi Station were operating on April 26 with signs reading, “We’re open without serving alcohol.” But many other establishments put up notices to inform customers that they will remain closed until May 11, when the current state of emergency is due to end.

The area, known as a nightlife heaven for businessmen, was darker than usual as many outlets turned off the lights.

Among establishments operating that day, one eatery offering grilled entrails taped over the alcoholic drinks on its menu out front. Still, dozens of people dropped by. But they left after the manager of the restaurant told them that it wasn't serving alcohol.

Before the emergency declaration, 80 percent of the eatery's seats were full by late afternoon, but they were empty on the evening of April 26.

“The ‘ban on alcohol’ has dealt the heaviest blow to our operations,” said its manager, in his 30s, who has complied with authorities’ requests to close early to contain the pandemic. 

Meanwhile, some businessmen were seen drinking canned “chuhai,” shochu-based alcoholic beverages, in the square in front of the station.

A man in his 50s and another in his 60s said they would drink canned chuhai for about half an hour on the streets or at a park after their day’s work to let off steam. They said the drinking sessions had been their favorite pastime since before the pandemic started.

But they gave up drinking openly in public after learning about news reports calling on people to refrain from drinking in the streets.

Emptying canned chuhai wrapped in cooler covers, the men lamented the recent tendency of people to bash others for their behavior.

The Asahi Shimbun used smartphone location data by Softbank Group Corp. affiliate Agoop Corp. to analyze foot traffic around Shinbashi Station between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on the first Sundays after the first, second and third states of emergency were issued.

The results showed pedestrian traffic on April 25 was about 2.3 times greater than on April 12, 2020, when the first emergency declaration was in place, and roughly 1.1 times the level on Jan. 10, when the second state of emergency was in effect.

(This article was written by Ryo Yamagishi and Yusuke Nagano.)

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