Narita Crowded With Lunar New Year Travelers
Narita Airport east of Tokyo is crowded with tourists from China as the Lunar New Year holiday period gets underway.
Direct flights arrived from China one after another on Friday except from Wuhan, where outbound flights were grounded due to the spread of a new coronavirus almost across China.
Many visitors in the airport's arrival lobby were wearing masks.
A 25-year-old woman from Shanghai who plans to visit Mount Fuji and Kamakura said she reserved her trip before the first reports of the viral pneumonia. She added that due to cases of infection in Shanghai, she avoided public transportation and wore a mask.
A 36-year-old man who arrived from Nanjing with his parents said they plan to spend six days in Tokyo and the Kusatsu hot spring resort.
He said he's reassured by the Chinese government's infection control measures, but will wear a mask at public places in Japan.
A Japanese woman who returned from a business trip to Shanghai said the outbreak makes her nervous as it reminds her of the SARS epidemic.
She said her company's subsidiary that she visited in Shanghai took measures such as disinfecting desks and floors, wearing masks and frequent hand washing. She said employees were also told to avoid travel during the holidays.
