An association of Japanese prefectural governors is urging people to carefully consider whether to visit their hometowns during the Bon summer holidays.

In a video conference on Saturday, Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny said if people decide to visit their hometowns, they should not meet elderly people, who are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus.

The hometown of iconic Japanese comedian Shimura Ken, who passed away after contracting the new coronavirus, has begun accepting messages on its website.

Shimura died in March at the age of 70. He became a TV star in the 1970s when he joined a comedy group called The Drifters, which was immensely popular in Japan.