The operator of a restaurant in Shibuya's Nonbei Yokocho (Drinkers’ alley) area closes her business at 8 p.m. on Jan. 8. (Nobuo Fujiwara)
Across the greater Tokyo metropolitan area, bars and restaurants took decidedly different approaches to closing early to comply with the government's latest state of emergency to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Friday night, traditionally a time for Tokyoites to let their hair down at the end of a busy work week, was the epitome of quiet in the capital's bustling Shibuya district, which normally comes alive from 8 p.m. or so.
On Jan. 8, most bars and restaurants were shutting up by 8 p.m. to ensure compliance, triggering a mass exodus from Shibuya Station as people headed home early instead of the traditional mad crush around midnight for last trains.