Photo/Illutration Movie fans check out posters in front of a cinema in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on June 1. (Shinnosuke Ito)

Movie theaters, public bathhouses and other facilities reopened on June 1 as part of relaxed restrictions implemented along with the extension of the state of emergency for the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Tokyo and Osaka are covered by the relaxed restrictions, but differences have emerged between the two major urban centers.

While national and other museums in the capital are reopening from June 1, four museums in Osaka will remain closed until the June 20 deadline for the end of the state of emergency. And for the Tokyo museums, reservations must be obtained beforehand through the internet as the number of entrants will be limited daily.

In Tokyo, fans of cinemas and super “sento” bathhouses were lining up outside those establishments before their doors opened.

At the Shinjuku Piccadilly cinema complex, a 59-year-old man living in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, came straight to the theater after getting off the night shift at his job as a security guard.

“I was looking forward to it reopening for so long,” the man said. “There are so many movies I want to see, so I'll watch two today.”

A 53-year-old female company employee living in Shinjuku Ward said, “Movies are indispensable for maintaining my health because they help me laugh and cry. I'm so relieved it's open again.”

Most major cinema complexes had cooperated with government requests to cease operations from April 25.

But even with the new relaxed restrictions, Tokyo cinema complexes will shut at 9 p.m. daily. Osaka movie theaters will remain closed on weekends.

There were also people waiting for the Ryogokuyuya Edoyu public bathhouse to open in the capital’s Sumida Ward.

The super sento previously operated from 11 a.m. until 9 a.m. the next day. In compliance with the April request, it had remained closed for more than a month.

Even with the relaxed measures, it will only operate until 8 p.m. every day and remain closed on weekends.

Bathhouse staff were busy cleaning the baths and disinfecting lockers from about two hours before opening.

While there are 400 lockers at the bathhouse, only half will be in use to allow for proper social distancing among customers. Posters have been put up at various locations in the bathhouse calling on customers to bathe without conversing, and the facility has put out more bottles of disinfectant for people to use.

A 41-year-old female company employee living in Edogawa Ward was in line to enter from before 11 a.m.

“Even with the pandemic going on, I need to relax,” she said. She planned to use various different baths until the evening, she added.

The relaxed measures in Tokyo also cover video game centers, pachinko parlors, gymnasiums and bowling alleys.

Four zoos and aquariums in the capital, including the zoo at Ueno, will resume operations from June 4. All four have been closed since December. But the number of daily entrants will be limited and reservations are required.

Universal Studios Japan in Osaka reopened from June 1, with business hours from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Only 5,000 customers will be allowed in daily and the theme park will remain closed on weekends.

While Chiba Prefecture is not covered by the state of emergency, the two Disney-related theme parks in Urayasu will continue with operating hours between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. and upper limits of 5,000 people will be allowed in daily until June 20.

Establishments that serve alcohol are being asked to remain closed until June 20.

(This article was compiled from reports by Yuko Kawasaki and Takashi Endo.)

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